Department for Transport

Electric Vehicles

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the cost to the public purse to date has been of installing or subsidising (a) uni-directional and (b) bi-directional charge points for electric vehicles in the UK.

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many (a) uni-directional and (b) bi-directional charge points for electric vehicles have been installed and are operational within the UK.

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much funding from the public purse is planned to be allocated on installing or subsidising (a) uni-directional and (b) bi-directional charge points for electric vehicles within the UK by 2025.

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate his Department has made of the number of (a) uni- directional and (b) bi-directional charge points for electric vehicles which are planned to be installed within the UK by 2025.

Jesse Norman: To date, the Government’s Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) has provided more than £100 million to support the installation of uni-directional chargepoints. The Department has not made an estimation of the cost and the number of uni-directional chargepoints that will be installed in the UK by 2025. As announced at Budget 2017, a new £400m electric car Charging Infrastructure Investment Fund (£200m new Government investment to be matched by private investors) will accelerate the roll-out of charging infrastructure by providing access to finance to companies that deliver chargepoints. The Government recognises that Vehicle to Grid (bi-directional) charging capability could become an important service for our energy system, but is still at a relatively early stage of development. OLEV and the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy are providing funding of £20 million for innovative projects that develop future Vehicle to Grid products, services and knowledge. The outcome of these projects will help inform future development of bi-directional charging.

Roads: St Helens

Conor McGinn: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what proportion of the Pothole Action Fund will be allocated to St Helens Council.

Jesse Norman: The Government is providing local highway authorities in England outside London with £296 million between 2016 and 2021 from the Pothole Action Fund. This includes an extra £46 million announced in the Autumn Budget 2017.  St Helens Council is a member of the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority. Highway Maintenance funding, including the Pothole Action Fund, is now paid directly to the Combined Authority, which is responsible for allocating funding to its constituent members.Funding from the Pothole Action Fund for 2016/17 was paid directly to St Helens Council, and totalled £143,000. In 2017/18 the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority received £1,335,000.

Biofuels

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of falling bio-ethanol prices on the (a) operation and (b) future of the UK bio-ethanol industry.

Jesse Norman: The price of bioethanol is set by the global fuels market and a range of factors will influence this, including production and raw material costs and the relative price of fuels and other commodities. In September the Government published its response to a consultation on proposed amendments to the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation. It is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/renewable-transport-fuel-obligations-order-government-response. The analysis of the costs and benefits of the proposals included in Annex A of that document identifies market price developments i.e. how renewable fuel prices change in relation to fossil fuel prices, as an area with some uncertainty. To address this uncertainty, the analysis considers the impact of our proposals under low, central and high projections of the price spreads between renewable fuels and fossil fuels. The 15 year strategy for renewable transport fuels provided by the Government’s Response is designed to provide a strong and growing market in the UK which should benefit existing domestic investments as well as encouraging further opportunities in this area.

Biofuels

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the timetable is for legislative proposals to be brought forward to provide for a 10 per cent bio-ethanol content in UK petrol supplies.

Jesse Norman: We intend to bring forward amendments to the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation to increase targets for the supply of renewable fuels from April 2018. We have no current plans for legislation to require ten per cent bioethanol content in UK petrol supplies.

Biofuels

Alan Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of introducing the use of E10 fuel into the UK; and if he will make a statement.

Jesse Norman: The Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership’s report “Successfully Deploying E10 Petrol” published in September 2017 assessed the benefits and challenges of introducing E10 in the UK. A joint Department for Transport and Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership working group with ethanol producers, fuel suppliers, and motoring organisations is considering the report’s recommendations.

Carlisle Airport

Mr Alister Jack: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the potential economic effect on the surrounding area of the opening of Carlisle Airport to domestic flights.

Mr John Hayes: The Department for Transport has not made such an assessment. Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership has made £4.75 million available from its Local Growth Fund towards infrastructure improvements at Carlisle Airport. It would be a matter for airlines to decide which commercial flights they operate from the airport.

Mersey Gateway Bridge: Tolls

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent representations he has received on the liability of tractors to pay tolls on the Mersey Gateway Bridge.

Jesse Norman: No such representations have been received. The administration and imposition of tolls and penalty charge notices, including for tractors, are a matter for Merseylink and Halton Borough Council to decide.

Public Transport: Veterans

Mike Hill: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of providing discounted rail and coach travel for single veterans.

Paul Maynard: The HM Forces railcard provides concessionary travel for military personnel and their families. This railcard arises from an agreement between the rail industry and the Secretary of State for Defence. Transport for London’s veterans scheme arises from a similar agreement with the Secretary of State. Such railcards are administered and controlled by the Railcard Scheme council and therefore any new railcard or extension of the HM Forces railcard would be for the Scheme council to instigate and to make arrangements with the Secretary of State for Defence. There is no national statutory concessionary scheme for coach travel. Any concessionary scheme for groups, such as veterans, would be at the discretion of the carriers who are private commercial operators.

South Eastern Rail Franchise

Clive Efford: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to page 36 of the paper South East Rail Franchise Stakeholder Document, whether the new franchise operator will be required to carry out an assessment to include an option to reinstate trains to Victoria on the Bexleyheath Line; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Maynard: Bidders for the South Eastern franchise competition will be required to run Bexleyheath line services to London Bridge, Waterloo East, Charing Cross and Cannon Street by 2022, subject to a successful future public consultation on detailed timetable proposals. The Invitation to Tender is however the minimum specification. The small minority of passengers (around 1,100 in the peak) who currently travel directly to Victoria and Denmark Hill would change at Lewisham, where they would connect with more frequent services to Victoria. The specification for the new franchise doubles the frequency of the Lewisham to Victoria corridor to four trains an hour from the current two.

Southeastern

Clive Efford: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what percentage of peak hour trains delayed between Lewisham and London terminals in each of the last 10 years were due to (a) rolling stock failure, (b) lack of drivers, (c) congestion at crossover points, (d) points failure, (e) overrunning engineering work, (f) severe weather conditions and (g) power failure; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Maynard: The Department does not hold the information requested broken down into the level of detail required and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Railways: Fares

Andy McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will ensure that train operating companies are compensated for any losses incurred as a consequence of the introduction of the proposed 26-30 discount railcard.

Paul Maynard: We expect that the railcard will bring more passengers, and therefore more revenue, to the railway.

Taxis: Guide Dogs

Cat Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will amend the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (Taxis) (Carrying of Guide Dogs etc) (England and Wales) Regulations 2000 and the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (Private Hire Vehicles) (Carriage of Guide Dogs etc) (England and Wales) Regulations 2003 to enable notices of exemption to be displayed in large print or with tactile features incorporated.

Mr John Hayes: Sections 68 and 70 of the Equality Act 2010 confirm the right of assistance dog owners to travel by taxi or private hire vehicle free from the fear of discrimination. The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (Taxis) (Carrying of Guide Dogs etc) (England and Wales) Regulations 2000 and the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (Private Hire Vehicles) (Carriage of Guide Dogs etc) (England and Wales) Regulations 2003 specify the form of exemption notices displayed by taxsi and private hire vehicle drivers who are medically unfit to fulfil the related duties.I understand that it can be difficult for visually impaired people to identify genuine exemption notices presented to them, and officials have discussed with the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association alternative options, including the provision by licensing authorities of an additional non-statutory notice in Braille and large print. We currently have no plans to amend Regulations.

High Speed 2 Railway Line: Rolling Stock

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he plans to publish a response to the consultation on the location of the Rolling Stock Depot for the Yorkshire leg of the High Speed 2 route.

Paul Maynard: I refer the Hon Member for Hemsworth to my answer of 30th October 2017 UIN 109650.

Railway Stations: Greater London

Marsha De Cordova: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to increase the number of accessible stations in south-west London.

Paul Maynard: We are committed to improving station accessibility and have continued with the Access for All programme which has delivered more than 160 accessible routes at stations, including Clapham Junction and Whitton. We will be making further funding available in the next Rail Control Period (2019-24) and stations across London will be eligible. Further details will be announced as soon as possible. In addition, whenever the industry installs, replaces or renews station infrastructure it must meet current accessibility standards.

Department for Communities and Local Government

Housing: St Helens

Conor McGinn: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what proportion of the £28 million funding for Housing First pilot schemes will be allocated to projects in the St Helens local authority area.

Mr Marcus Jones: At Autumn Budget 2017 the Chancellor announced £28 million of funding to pilot the Housing First approach for some of the country’s most entrenched rough sleepers. The pilots will cover the West Midlands Combined Authority, Greater Manchester, and the Liverpool City Region.The exact allocation to the areas will be subject to ongoing work with the regions and refinement of the scope of the pilots. My Department is in regular contact with officials in the Liverpool City Region and will continue to work closely with them going forward.

Rough Sleeping: St Helens

Conor McGinn: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what estimate he has made of the number of rough sleepers in the St Helens local authority area in each year since 2010.

Mr Marcus Jones: Annual rough sleeping counts and estimates data for 326 local authorities from 2010 to 2016, including St Helens, can be found in table 1 of our published live table: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/593685/Rough_Sleeping_Autumn_2016_Final_Tables.xlsThis Government is determined to do more to reduce the number of people sleeping rough. We have established a new Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Implementation Taskforce, chaired by the Secretary of State, which will drive forward the implementation of a cross-Government strategy to tackle this issue.We have allocated over £1 billion up to 2020 to support these efforts including piloting a Housing First approach for some of the most entrenched rough sleepers in the 3 major areas of England – including the Liverpool City Region. We are also implementing the Homelessness Reduction Act, the biggest change to homelessness legislation in decades, which will require councils to provide early support to people at risk of homelessness and rough sleeping.

Housing: Repairs and Maintenance

Mark Menzies: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to prevent owners of freehold properties who have been tied into long-term contracts from being charged to make minor alterations to their property.

Alok Sharma: The Government’s consultation, Tackling unfair practices in the leasehold market, considered a number of issues within the leasehold sector including the issue of freeholder charges. The consultation closed on 19 September and the Government will respond shortly.

Rough Sleeping

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, when providers will be able to bid for  capital funding for move-on accommodation to tackle rough sleeping outside London.

Mr Marcus Jones: The London based portion of the fund has been launched and is being administered by the Greater London Authority.A programme for the rest of England is currently being developed. Further detail will be announced in due course.

Coastal Communities Fund: Golf

Kirstene Hair: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether funding from the Coastal Communities Fund can be allocated to golf courses that are at risk from coastal erosion.

Jake Berry: The Coastal Communities Fund is a competitive bid-led programme and all applications are assessed against agreed criteria and programme priorities. Projects that address issues of coastal erosion or flood risk management which threaten the development of the coastal economy are potentially eligible for help provided they can demonstrate they will deliver jobs and growth as part of an integrated regeneration initiative.The administration of the Coastal Communities Fund in Scotland is the responsibility of the Scottish Government. My Hon Friend should contact them for further information about the next competitive bidding round for the Fund (Round 5) in Scotland for which funding will be available from April 2019.

Temporary Accommodation

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much of the £100 million announced in Budget 2016 to deliver 2,000 low-cost second stage accommodation for rough sleepers and domestic abuse victims has been allocated; and how many such units of accommodation have been built.

Mr Marcus Jones: The Department for Communities and Local Government has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Affordable Housing

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much has been allocated under the Shared Ownership and Affordable Homes Programme 2016-21 to (a) London and (b) each Homes and Communities Agency operating area to the end of September 2017; and what the number of housing units in receipt of such allocation has been by tenure in that period.

Alok Sharma: Affordable housing remains the Government’s priority. That’s why the Prime Minister recently announced an additional £2 billion funding for affordable housing, increasing the Affordable Homes Programme 2016-21 budget to over £9 billion to deliver a wide range of affordable housing, including social rent homes.The Affordable Homes Programme is delivered through the Greater London Authority (GLA) and the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA).London will receive £3.15 billion over the period 2015 – 2021 to deliver at least 90,000 affordable housing starts by March 2021. Details for GLA allocations are available at the following link: https://www.london.gov.uk/press-releases/mayoral/record-17bn-deal-for-new-homesThe breakdown of funding and housing units so far delivered by HCA operating areas up to 2021 will be published in quarter 4, details for the 2015 to 2018 programme can be found at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/affordable-homes-programme-2015-to-2018-guidance-and-allocations

Housing: Construction

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 7 December 2017 to Question 116781, on what date he plans to publish his Department’s main estimates for 2018-19.

Mr Marcus Jones: Her Majesty's Treasury plan to lay the 2018-19 Main Estimates, which will include the Department for Communities and Local Government's Estimate, before Parliament in April 2018.

Affordable Housing

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the average funding per unit from allocations under the Shared Ownership and Affordable Homes Programme 2016-21 for (a) London and (b) each Homes and Communities operating area, excluding nil grant units was for (i) the entire programme (ii) Affordable Rent units and (iii) Affordable Home Ownership units for the period up to the end of September 2017,

Alok Sharma: The Department for Communities and Local Government has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Affordable Housing

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will set out the average gross rents resulting from total allocations under the Shared Ownership and Affordable Homes Programme 2016-21 to the end of September 2017 for affordable rent schemes in (a) London and (b) each Homes and Communities Agency operating area, expressed both in (i) pounds per week and (ii) as a percentage of market rent.

Alok Sharma: The Greater London Authority has published its proposed London Affordable Rent levels on its website. See page 7 in the following file:https://www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/homesforlondoners-affordablehomesprogrammefundingguidance.pdf The overall national average as a proportion of market rent for affordable rent funded housing through the programme is 80 per cent.Homes and Communities Operating areaAverage rent PWMidlands169North East, Yorkshire and The Humber131North West108South East154South West149National Total144

Housing: Construction

Stephen McPartland: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether he plans to introduce a right to bid for assets held by local authorities to release land for housing.

Alok Sharma: The Department for Communities and Local Government has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Housing: Students

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much funding from the Revenue Support Grant (RSG) was allocated to (a) Hull City Council and (b) England to cover costs related to student accommodation; how many student households were covered by the RSG; and what estimate his Department has made of the proportion of student-occupied properties that were covered by the RSG for each year since 2009-10.

Mr Marcus Jones: Revenue Support Grant is an unringfenced grant allocated as part of the Local Government Finance Settlement. Along with council tax, retained business rates and other sources of income, it funds core services provided by councils, including social care, road repairs and waste services.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Business: Regulation

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 29 November 2017 to Question 115913, if he will list the Government's programmes aimed at reducing regulation.

Margot James: The Government is committed to a system of better regulation that supports well-targeted and effective regulations which protect the public. Our Industrial Strategy, published on 27th November, sets out our commitment to working with businesses to inform development of an agile approach to regulation that promotes and supports innovation, growth of new sectors and the requirements of innovative market entrants – while ensuring effective protections for citizens and the environment. We are strengthening our horizon scanning, including through a new Ministerial Working Group on Future Regulation, to help us identify arising regulatory issues and priorities for future work. As my Rt Hon Friend, Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, announced at Budget, we will also support a new £10m Regulators’ Pioneer Fund to help regulators to develop innovative approaches aimed at getting new products and services to market.

Industry: Environment Protection

Rebecca Long Bailey: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to page 148 of Industrial Strategy, when he plans to publish the Bioeconomy Strategy.

Claire Perry: The Bioeconomy Strategy has been developed in partnership with industry, and sets out a framework for growth in the sector to develop new low carbon bio-based products and processes. This contributes to the Clean Growth agenda and I am aiming to publish the strategy early in 2018.

Insulation: Housing

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how much the Government spent on funding for cavity wall insulation schemes in the last ten years.

Claire Perry: We do not hold data on the amount of money spent on cavity wall insulation. Most of the cavity wall insulation installed under Government sponsored schemes has been funded under supplier obligations (such as the current Energy Company Obligation) and not funded directly by Government. Over the last ten years around 3.5m cavity wall insulation measures have been installed under Government sponsored schemes.

Insulation: Housing

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will introduce an independent dispute mechanism for consumers related to companies which have installed defective or unsuitable cavity wall insulation.

Claire Perry: The Cavity Insulation Guarantee Agency (CIGA) is one of the main organisations providing consumer guarantees for cavity wall insulation installations and it has a complaints process including an independent dispute mechanism for consumers where cavity wall insulation may be defective. Each Home Counts was an independent review, led by Dr. Peter Bonfield, which published its report in December 2016. Implementation of Each Home Counts is being led by industry with the support of Government, in line with the recommendations of the review. One of the main recommendations from the Review was to establish a quality mark for retrofit energy efficiency and renewable energy measures including cavity wall insulation, and for companies operating in this sector. Those who wish to use the quality mark will need to adhere to a consumer charter and code of conduct, which will ensure all consumers have access to a clear redress process and guarantee protection.

Solar Power: Wigan

Jo Platt: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 4 December 2017 to Question 115602, how many domestic and non-domestic solar feed-in tariff installations have been deployed in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan in each month since April 2016.

Richard Harrington: The table below gives the number of domestic and non-domestic solar PV installations deployed under the Feed in Tariff in Wigan Metropolitan Borough Local Authority, in each month since April 2016. MonthNumber of domestic solar PV installations deployed in Wigan Metropolitan Borough Local AuthorityNumber of non-domestic solar PV installations deployed in Wigan Metropolitan Borough Local AuthorityApril 201651May 201631June 201690July 2016130August 201630September 201650October 201650November 2016100December 201630January 201730February 201730March 201750April 201750May 201730June 201750July 201710 Source: data underlying Sub-regional Feed in Tariffs Statistics, September 2017, at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/sub-regional-feed-in-tariffs-confirmed-on-the-cfr-statistics

Housing: Insulation

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what representations he has received on companies using funding from the public purse to install sub-standard and faulty cavity wall insulation; and if he will make a statement.

Claire Perry: The Energy Company Obligation is funded by energy suppliers through regulation, rather than from the public purse. For the installation of cavity wall insulation to be eligible for the scheme, it is required to come with a 25-year guarantee. This would cover cases where sub-standard or faulty insulation may be installed.The Government has received a number of representations, and is aware through discussions with industry, of some examples of poor practice and quality in the installation of energy efficiency measures. To help improve quality and consumer confidence, the Government commissioned the independent Each Home Counts review, led by Dr. Peter Bonfield, which published its report in December 2016. Implementation of Each Home Counts is being led by industry with the support of Government, in line with the recommendations of the review.One of the main recommendations from the Review was to establish a quality mark for retrofit energy efficiency and renewable energy measures including cavity wall insulation, to help offer a clear and consistent standard for consumers. Those businesses who wish to use the quality mark will need to adhere to a consumer charter and code of conduct, which will ensure all consumers have access to a clear redress process and guarantee protection.

Royal Mail: Privatisation

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the effect of the privatisation of Royal Mail on employment standards in the postal industry.

Margot James: Almost all Royal Mail’s 142,000 staff are on permanent contracts and earn above the living wage. Employees own 12% of its shares. It has been a Times Top 50 Employer for Women for four consecutive years. This Government will protect workers’ rights, ensuring they keep pace with the changing labour market.

Housing: Insulation

Sir David Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many homes have been insulated under national government schemes in each year since 2010.

Claire Perry: Since 2013, and estimated 1,321,000 unique homes have received insulation measures through the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) and Green Deal schemes. The annual breakdown is shown in the table below. Table: Number of homes insulated through ECO and Green Deal: 2013 – July 2017. YearHomes insulated (000s)20132772014524201528420161892017 (Year to July)62TOTAL unique homes insulated*1,321 *Around 15,000 homes (1%) were insulated by multiple schemes since 2013. This double counting has been removed from the total homes insulated.  Prior to 2013, data are not available to estimate the number of unique homes receiving insulation measures. However, the number of professionally installed measures for cavity wall insulation, loft insulation and solid wall insulation through Government schemes since 2010 are shown in the table below. In addition to schemes shown above the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target (CERT) that closed in 2012 is included. Table: Number of selected professionally installed insulation measures through CERT, ECO and Green Deal: 2010 – July 2017. YearCavity wall insulation (000s) Loft insulation (000s) Solid wall insulation (000s) 2010419536132011521871920126351,2841420131661272820143172076420151501015720169167352017 (Year to July)382111TOTAL2,3373,213232

Housing: Insulation

Sir David Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department has taken to incentivise the installation of household insulation by private landlords and housing associations; and if he will make a statement.

Claire Perry: The Energy Efficiency (Private Rented Property)(England and Wales) Regulations 2015 require that, subject to certain exemptions, domestic and non-domestic private rented sector landlords improve any Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) F or G rated properties they rent to a minimum of EPC band E from April 2018. To reach this standard, landlords of poorly rated properties will be required to install energy efficiency measures relevant to those properties, which could include insulation.The Energy Company Obligation (ECO) supports the installation of energy efficiency measures in both private rented housing and social rented housing. From January 2013 to June 2017, energy efficiency measures were installed in 242,348 private rented homes and 223,046 social rented homes under ECO.The Government will also look at a long term trajectory for energy performance standards across the private rented sector, with the aim of as many private rented homes as possible being upgraded to EPC Band C by 2030, where practical, cost-effective and affordable. We will consider options with a view to consulting in 2018. In addition, the Government will also look at how social housing can meet similar standards on the same timetable. When looking at this we will need to take account of the findings of the independent public inquiry into the fire at Grenfell Tower and the Government’s separate work looking at wider social housing policy issues.

Housing: Insulation

Sir David Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 17 October 2017 to Question 107168 on housing: insulation, if his Department will provide a breakdown of those figures for (a) owner-occupied, (b) private-rented and (c) social sector housing.

Claire Perry: The following table provides additional breakdown of the percentage of homes rated EPC band D or below by: (a) owner-occupied, (b) private-rented and (c) social sector housing. As before, these data are calculated based on weighted English Housing Survey data:Table: Number of homes (000’s) in England rated EPC band D or below split by tenure  of which:   Number of homes (000’s)(a) owner occupied(b) private rented(c) social sector housing201018,58870%15%15%201118,46569%16%15%201217,71469%18%14%201317,34768%19%13%201416,63068%19%13%201516,20867%20%12%Note: totals may not add to 100 due to rounding

Renewable Energy: Feed-in Tariffs

Dr Alan Whitehead: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on what date he plans to publish the 2017 Feed-in Tariff consultation; and if he will make a statement.

Richard Harrington: We are considering options for small-scale low carbon generation beyond 2019. A consultation on the Feed-in Tariffs scheme will be published in due course.

Consumers: Protection

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when he plans to publish the consumer green paper; and if he will make a statement.

Margot James: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 6 December 2017 to Question UIN 116927 to the hon. Member for Warwick and Leamington.

Horizon 2020

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to encourage UK researchers to continue to make bids for Horizon 2020 funding.

Joseph Johnson: Holding answer received on 11 December 2017



The Government wants the UK to be the go-to place for scientists, innovators and tech investors across the world. We intend to secure the right outcome for the UK research base as we exit the European Union.The Joint report from the negotiators of the European Union and the United Kingdom Government published on 8 December stated that UK entities’ right to participate in EU programmes will be unaffected by the UK’s withdrawal from the EU. This means that UK based organisations and individuals will be able to bid for funding, participate in and lead consortia, in 2019 and 2020, and will continue to receive funding for the lifetime of the project.It remains the case that nothing is agreed until everything is agreed, which is why the Government’s underwrite guarantee remains in place. UK businesses and universities should continue to bid for competitive EU funds while we remain a member of the EU and we will work with the Commission to ensure payment when funds are awarded. The Government will underwrite the payment of such awards, even when specific projects continue beyond the UK’s departure from the EU.

Research: Investment

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to encourage greater private sector investment in research and development; and if he will make a statement

Joseph Johnson: We are committed to raising investment in research and development to 2.4% of GDP by 2027 as part of the Industrial Strategy. As a first step, we are increasing public investment in research and development (R&D) from around £9.5bn last year to around £12.5bn in 2021/22 – increasing public R&D spending as a share of GDP each year and making a total increase of £7bn over five years. This will be the biggest ever increase in public funding of R&D. In 2018, we will publish a roadmap that sets out how Government and industry will work together to reach the 2.4% target by 2027.

Energy: Prices

Dr Alan Whitehead: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 6 December 2017 to Question 116831, if he will list the less established technologies that will be eligible to participate in auctions for the £557 million for additional contracts for difference under the Control for Low Carbon Levies announced in Autumn Budget 2017.

Richard Harrington: The Government has committed up to £557 million for future Contracts for Difference.The technologies that are currently eligible to participate in future auctions for less established technologies are:- Offshore wind;- Advanced Conversion Technologies;- Anaerobic Digestion;- Biomass with Combined Heat and Power;- Wave;- Tidal Stream; and- Geothermal.In addition, the government intends to allow wind projects on the remote islands, which have the potential to benefit local communities, to compete in future auctions as a less established technology. This is subject to receiving State aid approval and we have submitted a notification to the European Commission of our plans.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Brexit

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what quantitative assessments his Department has made of the effect of the UK leaving the EU on the sectors for which his Department is responsible.

Margot James: Holding answer received on 12 December 2017



The Government is undertaking a comprehensive programme of analytical work that will contribute to our exit negotiations, help to define our future partnership with the EU, and inform our understanding of how EU exit will affect the UK’s domestic policies and frameworks.We are examining all areas of the UK economy from a number of perspectives and seeking input from a wide range of stakeholders. Since the EU referendum, BEIS ministers and officials have engaged with over 1,700 businesses and other stakeholders on EU Exit and Industrial Strategy.Our analysis is constantly evolving and being updated based on our discussions with industry and our negotiations with the EU.

Radioactive Waste

Deidre Brock: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, to set out the (a) volume, (b) isotopic content and (c) origin of the wastes stored at each licensed nuclear site.

Richard Harrington: Information regarding the volume, content and origin of radioactive wastes stored at each licensed nuclear site is made available in the UK Radioactive Waste Inventory (UKRWI), which is jointly published by the Department and the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority. The UKRWI report and all supporting documentation are published at http://ukinventory.nda.gov.uk/.The UKRWI lists over 1,300 waste streams. Each has a supporting Waste Stream Data sheet, which includes detailed information on its origin and physical, chemical and radiological properties. This includes information on the presence of 114 key radionuclides (radioisotopes) that are particularly important for radioactive waste management and disposal.

Post Offices: Finance

Mark Menzies: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of the sustainability of the Post Office Local business model in which postmasters are obliged to cover all business overheads but are not necessarily able to cover their employee’s wages.

Margot James: Assessing the sustainability of its business models is the operational responsibility of Post Office Limited.The Post Office’s Local business model allows the hosting businesses to improve their retail offer, by removing the need for a fortress counter to free up space in the shop to sell other items, and by integrating the post office counter into the main retail counter enabling efficiencies in running the store.There are over 3,800 Local model post offices operating across the UK. Host retailers will also benefit from the associated footfall into the branch and Postmasters who have converted to the Local model have reported an average increase of 11% in their associated retail sales.

Automation

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will commission a formal assessment of the potential effect of automation on regional economies over the next 10 years.

Claire Perry: Artificial Intelligence (AI) and data analytics will change jobs and businesses across the country, and we want people to be able to capitalise on these opportunities. Following a review of AI led by Professor Dame Wendy Hall and Jérôme Pesenti, Growing the AI Industry in the UK, our Industrial Strategy will address the Grand Challenge of making the UK a global centre for AI and data innovation and embed the power of this technology across our economy.Embedding AI across the UK will create thousands of good quality jobs and drive economic growth across the regions. A recent study found digital technologies created a net total of 80,000 new jobs annually across a population similar to the UK. By one estimate, AI could add £232bn to the UK economy by 2030.

Nuclear Fuels: Manufacturing Industries

Mark Menzies: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to support the nuclear fuel manufacturing industry.

Richard Harrington: The Government engages regularly with new nuclear build developers on their supply chain plans as we seek to maximise UK economic benefit; this includes fuel manufacturing. The Government is also actively involved in advising and supporting UK companies who are pursuing nuclear fuel supply and manufacturing opportunities in overseas markets.

Nuclear Fuels: Manufacturing Industries

Mark Menzies: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that nuclear fuel for the Moorside nuclear reactors is manufactured in the UK.

Richard Harrington: Sourcing of fuel for new nuclear power stations is a matter for the project developers. The Government engages regularly with the developers on their supply chain plans as we seek to maximise UK economic benefit arising from the projects; this includes fuel manufacturing.

Nuclear Fuels: Manufacturing Industries

Mark Menzies: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether his Department has any plans to ensure that nuclear fuel for the nuclear reactors at (a) Hinkley Point C, (b) Bradwell B and (c) Wylfa Newydd is manufactured in the UK.

Richard Harrington: Sourcing of fuel for new nuclear power stations is a matter for the project developers. The Government engages regularly with the developers on their supply chain plans as we seek to maximise UK economic benefit arising from the projects; this includes fuel manufacturing.

Nuclear Power Stations: Cumbria

Mark Menzies: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what effect his Department’s decision to select the Korea Electric Power Corporation as the preferred bidder to take over building the Moorside nuclear reactors has had on the date the Moorside nuclear plant is projected to be (a) completed and (b) operational.

Richard Harrington: Toshiba, rather than the Department, has selected KEPCO as their preferred bidder to buy Nugen and we will engage with the companies to understand their proposals for the Moorside project.

Tesco: Booker Group

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the proposed merger of Tesco and Booker wholesale, what representations he has received on the potential of a price advantage being gained by for Booker in the wholesale food sector.

Margot James: Competition investigations into mergers are a matter for the independent Competition and Markets Authority.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support allies in the Middle East to counter destabilising activities of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: Iran is known to be involved in multiple regional conflicts, including in Syria and Yemen, through the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and associated entities such as the IRGC Qods Force. The Government has stated its concerns about Iran’s destabilising regional activity. We are clear that Iran should cease its disruptive involvement in regional conflicts, and should instead look to play a constructive role. The Foreign Secretary raised these concerns with his Iranian counterpart during his trip to Iran on 9-10 December, including pressing Iran to use its influence to stop indiscriminate and dangerous missile attacks from Yemen into Saudi Arabia. We are also working with partners in the region to reduce regional tension and resolve ongoing conflicts.​​​

Cameroon: Genocide

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 4 November 2017 to Question 110340, whether he plans to make further representations to the Prime Minister of Cameroon on reports of genocide in that country.

Rory Stewart: Our High Commissioner in Yaoundé has raised our concerns about the situation in the Anglophone region, including their obligations under international law in respect to human rights, with Prime Minister Philemon Yang and the Secretary General of the Presidency on 22 November. In these and several other recent meetings with Cameroonian Ministers, he called on the Cameroonian Government to exercise restraint, enter into purposeful and inclusive dialogue and to take action to reduce tensions. The High Commissioner will continue to raise our concerns, including Cameroon's obligations under international law in respect to human rights, with the Prime Minister and others members of his government.

Burma: Arms Trade

Gill Furniss: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what the Government's policy is on support for a possible UN-mandated global arms embargo on Burma.

Mark Field: The UK continues to support the EU's retention of its arms embargo, which prohibits the supply of equipment or the provision of any training that might strengthen the Burmese military's combat capability. In the preparation for the UN Security Council Presidential Statement on Burma that the UK proposed and secured on 6 November, we assessed there was insufficient support amongst UN Security Council members for a resolution mandating a global arms embargo on Burma. This remains our assessment; but we will keep it under review.

Burma: Arms Trade

Gill Furniss: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he plans to discuss with his EU counterparts an expansion of the current EU arms embargo to ban all EU companies from supplying any kind of equipment to the military in Burma.

Mark Field: ​The UK is party to the EU's arms embargo on Burma and a strong supporter of its continuation. The Foreign Secretary secured agreement at the 16 October EU Foreign Affairs Council that the EU would consider additional measures if the situation in Rakhine did not improve.The UK will discuss with EU partners whether further sanctions are required following the UN Secretary-General's 12 December report to the UN Security Council on progress since the 6 November UN Security Council Presidential Statement.

Israel: West Bank

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the humanitarian effects of the proposed demolition of the village of Susiya in the South Hebron hills.

Alistair Burt: ​We are gravely concerned by the humanitarian impact of proposals to demolish the village of Susiya in the South Hebron Hills. The demolition could leave up to 100 people, half of them children, without shelter. Demolitions and evictions of Palestinians from their homes cause unnecessary suffering to ordinary Palestinians; call into question Israel’s commitment to a viable two-state solution; and, in all but the most exceptional of cases, are contrary to International Humanitarian Law. Officials from our Embassy in Tel Aviv have repeatedly raised our concerns with Israeli Ministers and senior officials, and urged them to cease this counter-productive policy, and provide a clear, transparent route to construction for Palestinians in Area C.

Burma: Human Rights

Paul Scully: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what support the Government is providing to the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, and the United Nations Fact Finding Mission on Myanmar.

Mark Field: The UK supports the role of the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar. The UK is currently a member of the UN Human Rights Council, and we welcome her valuable briefings to that body.The UK co-sponsored the resolution at the March 2017 session of the Human Rights Council which established the Fact Finding Mission to look into the human rights situation in Burma. We also supported the decision made at the September 2017 session to extend its mandate until September 2018. Lord Ahmad reiterated the UK's call for Burma to cooperate with the Fact Finding Mission during a Special Session of the Human Rights Council on 5 December. The UK will work with international partners to ensure the Human Rights Council responds appropriately when the Fact Finding Mission presents its interim report at the March 2018 session.

Niranjan Rasalingam

Paul Scully: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has been made of whether Niranjan Rasalingam, a British citizen jailed in Burma, has received a fair trial.

Mark Field: We have not made an assessment of whether Mr Niranjan has received a fair trial, as the appeals process in his case is ongoing. In the meantime we continue to liaise closely with his lawyer and representatives; and are providing consular and welfare support.​

Syria: Chemical Weapons

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he plans to make representations to his Russian counterpart Russia’s veto of the UN Security Council draft resolution on extending the mandate of the Joint Investigative Mechanism investigating use of chemical weapons in Syria.

Alistair Burt: The Foreign Secretary has strongly condemned repeated Security Council vetoes by Russia - on 24 October, 16 and 17 November - which have blocked the renewal of the mandate for the UN Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (UN-OPCW) Joint Investigative Mechanism (JIM). In a written statement to Parliament on 30 November, the Foreign Secretary condemned Russia's "overriding determination to protect their allies in the Syrian regime, whatever the crimes committed." The UK remains determined to continue to seek accountability for the use of chemical weapons in Syria and continues to raise the issue with Russia bilaterally.

North Korea: British Nationals Abroad

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many British nationals travelling independently to North Korea have informed the British Embassy in Pyongyang of their visit in each of the last 12 months.

Mark Field: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office advises British Nationals to avoid all but essential travel to North Korea. As a result, very few British people visit North Korea and those that do are usually part of an organised tour. Whilst we encourage British nationals living or visiting North Korea to inform the British Embassy of their travel plans, not all will do so. Accordingly accurate numbers are not available for any given year.

Burma: Political Prisoners

Chris Law: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations the Government has made to the  Aung San Suu Kyi on releasing all political prisoners in Burma.

Mark Field: Our Ambassador has raised the issue of political prisoners on several occasions with State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi and her ministers. Since her government took office in April 2016, at least 160 political prisoners have been released. However, we estimate there are still 86 political prisoners. The UK will continue to call for their release.

Belarus: Trade Unions

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what reports he has received on the state persecution and harassment of trades union activists in Belarus.

Sir Alan Duncan: Our Embassy in Minsk pays close attention to developments in the field of political freedoms and human rights in Belarus and regularly encourages the government to make progress in these areas. Independent trades unions exist in Belarus but they and their members are under pressure, as reflected in the 2017 Freedom House report on Belarus.Our Embassy is currently monitoring the cases of Henadz Fyadynich and Aliaksei Komlik of the Trade Union of the Radio Electronic Industry who were detained on tax evasion charges following a search of their offices in August. Both men have been released while an investigation continues. ​

Iran: Terrorism

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his counterpart in the Government of Iran about allegations that Iran is supporting the spread of Islamist causes around the world; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: Holding answer received on 11 December 2017



We remain concerned about Iran’s activities in the Middle East region, particularly regarding reports of Iran's financial and military support to militant and proscribed groups, such as Hizballah, Hamas and Palestinian rejectionist groups, and the Houthis in Yemen. This support directly undermines prospects for regional security and lasting peace in the region. The Foreign Secretary raised his concerns during his visit to Iran on 9-10 December and, with respect to ballistic missile attacks on Saudi Arabia from within Yemen, urged his Iranian counterparts to use their influence to ensure that indiscriminate and dangerous attacks come to an end. ​​

Iran: Terrorism

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the threat posed by Iran's support for Shia Islamists abroad; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: Holding answer received on 11 December 2017



We remain concerned about Iran’s activities in the Middle East region, particularly regarding reports of Iran's financial and military support to militant and proscribed groups, such as Hizballah, Hamas and Palestinian rejectionist groups, and the Houthis in Yemen. This support directly undermines prospects for regional security and lasting peace in the region. The Foreign Secretary raised his concerns during his visit to Iran on 9-10 December and, with respect to ballistic missile attacks on Saudi Arabia from within Yemen, urged his Iranian counterparts to use their influence to ensure that indiscriminate and dangerous attacks come to an end. ​​​

Sudan: Military Aid

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to the Government of Sudan on the activities of the Rapid Support Forces in Darfur.

Rory Stewart: The Rapid Support Forces are now formally a part of the Sudanese Armed Forces. The UK continues to impress upon the Government of Sudan that, as they move into the security space in Darfur, and as UNAMID bases are handed over, it is vital that they provide safety for civilians in a manner that is compliant with both international humanitarian and human rights law. The UK is in regular contact with UNAMID and is monitoring the reconfiguration of the Mission closely.

Syria: Overseas Aid

Lloyd Russell-Moyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will place a copy of any correspondence between his Department and Adam Smith International since 2014 on the risk of money in his Department's Official Development Assistance budget earmarked for the access to the justice and community security scheme being used for corrupt or fraudulent practices or being diverted to armed groups inside Syria in the Library.

Alistair Burt: ​I have written to all MPs on the allegations concerning the Adam Smith International and Foreign and Commonwealth's Access to Justice and Community Security (AJACS) programme in Syria. In that letter I explained that Her Majesty's Government is undertaking an investigation into these claims, and that the AJACs programme has been suspended while this investigation is carried out.I will update all MPs at the earliest opportunity into the outcomes of this investigation and the future of this programme.

Sudan: Torture

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to the Government of Sudan to request that it end its use of torture?

Rory Stewart: We used the fourth session of the UK-Sudan Strategic Dialogue on 16 October to raise again our concerns, and to agree steps that the Government of Sudan would take to further progress on human rights issues, including working towards ratification of the Convention Against Torture (CAT).The British Government and the Government of Sudan have agreed to continue the regular dialogue we maintain at all levels on human rights, which will include the UK's continued support for Sudan's accession to CAT.

Travel Restrictions

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, for which countries has the Government imposed travel bans on citizens; and if will list the number of people in each case.

Rory Stewart: The UK currently implements over 30 UN and EU sanctions regimes. Many contain travel bans against individuals. Under these sanctions regimes. the UK currently has travel bans in place against approximately 1200 individuals from the following countries: Afghanistan, Belarus, Burundi, Central African Republic, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Democratic Republic of Congo, Republic of Guinea, Republic of Guinea-Bissau, Iran, Libya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Russia, Yemen, and Zimbabwe. This includes travel bans against members of certain terrorist organisations.The Home Office maintains a 'watch list' of all these individuals to ensure effective implementation of the travel bans. The Home Office has also published guidance on international travel bans which is available on the gov.uk website. The full details of all individuals subject to travel bans under each UN and EU sanctions regime are also publicly available via the UN and EU websites.

Cameroon: Politics and Government

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign Commonwealth Affairs, what support is being made available to Anglophone citizens of Cameroon.

Rory Stewart: The Department for International Development supports the education, health and agriculture sectors across Cameroon through regional programmes and multilateral partners. The British Government does not provide specific support to Anglophone citizens. Our High Commissioner in Yaoundé has been following events in the Anglophone regions closely and has actively raised the need for dialogue and restraint with the Cameroonian authorities, including their obligations under international law in respect to human rights. We continue to call for restraint, for all parties to reject violence, pursue dialogue and urgently take action to reduce tensions.

Iran: BBC Persian Service

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his oral contribution of 21 November 2017, Official Report, Vol 631 Col 852, if will raise persecution of and intimidation against staff of the BBC Persian service during his forthcoming visit to Iran.

Alistair Burt: Holding answer received on 11 December 2017



Reports about harassment of BBC Persian staff and their families in Iran are deeply worrying. The Foreign Secretary specifically raised our concerns about the harassment of BBC Persian staff and their families in Iran with his Iranian counterpart during his visit to Tehran on 9-10 December. This issue is intimately bound up with wider questions of the protection of civil and political rights in Iran; the Foreign Secretary also raised our broader concerns on Iran’s human rights record during his visit.

European Union: Flags

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how much his Department has spent on purchasing EU flags for use in  (a) the UK and (b) its missions overseas since June 2016.

Sir Alan Duncan: Our management information systems do not separately identify these costs and to compile this would incur disproportionate cost.

Nuclear Weapons: Proliferation

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of progress internationally on the non-proliferation and reduction of nuclear weapons; and if he will make a statement.

Sir Alan Duncan: The UK has a strong record on reduction of nuclear weapons – since 2010 we have reduced the number of operationally available warheads to no more than 120, and remain committed to reducing our stockpile of nuclear warheads to no more than 180 by the mid-2020s. However, we note with concern that a number of states continue to produce fissile material for nuclear weapons outside the Non Proliferation Treaty. In particular, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's (DPRK) nuclear and ballistic missile programmes pose an unacceptable threat to the international community and we are working closely with our international partners to exert maximum political and economic pressure on the DPRK to change its direction. The UK remains committed to the Iran nuclear deal, which marks a major step forward in preventing Iran from developing a nuclear weapons capability.

Syria: Administration of Justice

Dr Roberta Blackman-Woods: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether the Rt. Hon. Alastair Burt, was aware that money from the Access to Justice and Community Services programme in Syria had fallen into the hands of terrorists when he responded to a question in the Chamber by the Rt. Hon. Emily Thornberry on 24 October 2017.

Alistair Burt: I was not aware on 24 October of the allegations subsequently made by the Panorama programme. HMG is not aware of any evidence of UK funding directly fallling into the hands of terrorist groups through the Access to Justice and Community Services programme in Syria.

Overseas Aid

Dr Roberta Blackman-Woods: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent steps he has taken to improve the transparency, effectiveness, and fraud prevention of Official Development Assistance spending by his Department.

Sir Alan Duncan: All FCO ODA expenditure conforms to the department's robust management and assurance processes to ensure it delivers value for money for the UK taxpayer. This includes following the processes for monitoring expenditure, as laid out in Her Majesty's Treasury's document, 'UK Official Development Assistance: value for money guidance'. Any allegations of fraud are swiftly investigated and if substantiated projects will be terminated.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Adam Smith International

Dr Roberta Blackman-Woods: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 6 September 2017 to Question 9083, what assessment he made of the potential merits of freezing funding to Adam Smith International in February 2017, in line with the decision taken by the Department for International Development.

Sir Alan Duncan: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has not awarded any new contracts to Adam Smith International (ASI) this Financial Year. However, like the Department for International Development (DFID), the FCO is continuing to work with ASI on high priority existing projects.

Conflict, Stability and Security Fund

Dr Roberta Blackman-Woods: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure that projects led by his Department and funded through the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund do not contribute to human rights violations or enable funding to be diverted to terrorist groups.

Rory Stewart: All Conflict, Stability and Security Fund (CSSF) funded programmes managed by the FCO have robust monitoring processes in place to mitigate the risk of funds being diverted. We take appropriate action on all allegations of misuse of funds. Where specific human rights concerns are identified, an Overseas Security and Justice Assessment is completed to identify risks and mitigating actions.

Cabinet Office

Domestic Violence

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the year on year percentage change in the reporting of domestic abuse crimes was in each territorial police force area in England and Wales in each of the last five years.

Chris Skidmore: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.



UKSA response
(PDF Document, 118.09 KB)

Social Services: Dementia

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Written Statement of 16 November 2017, HCWS 258 on social care, whether the proposed green paper will specifically cover social care services received by working-age and non-working age people affected by dementia.

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Written Statement of 16 November 2017, HCWS 258 on social care, if he will ensure that the reasons for delayed transfers of care relating to people affected by dementia are included as part of the proposed green paper.

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the Written Ministerial Statement of 16 November 2017, HCWS 258, on social care, what the timetable is to (a) publish recommendations and (b) bring forward legislative proposals as a result of the Green Paper.

Damian Green: The government has committed to publishing a Green Paper by summer recess 2018 presenting proposals to reform care and support for older people, and to a parallel programme of work, led jointly by the Department of Health and the Department for Communities and Local Government, which will focus on issues specific to working-age adults with care needs. Further details will be set out nearer the time. Our vision for care must incorporate not only social care, but the wider networks of support which help people to live independently, including those with dementia. We are clear that no-one, including people living with dementia, should have to stay in hospital longer than necessary, and we will put forward proposals in the Green Paper to ensure that our care and support system is sustainable in the long term and that people receive the services they need in the most appropriate setting for them. We have made additional funding available of £2 billion over the next 3 years to allow councils to support more people and sustain a diverse care market. The additional funding is supplemented with targeted measures to help ensure that those areas facing the greatest challenges make rapid improvement, including in reducing delayed transfers of care between NHS and care and support services. Nationally, there are more than 1000 extra beds freed up since February, following local efforts by local authorities and the NHS to reduce delays in transfers of care. We are pleased that we have reversed the trend with delays back down to levels last seen in summer 2016. We know from those areas that have made improvements that maintaining a constant focus and applying an unswerving commitment to ensuring individuals receive the care they need in the right setting can rapidly bring down delayed transfers of care.

Cabinet Office: Bell Pottinger Group

Jon Trickett: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what representations any Minister of his Department has received from Bell Pottinger on behalf of (a) Atos IT Services UK Limited, (b) Centrica PLC and (c) Ernst & Young.

Damian Green: Holding answer received on 11 December 2017



No Ministers from the Cabinet Office have received representations from Bell Pottinger on behalf of Atos IT Services UK Limited, Centrica PLC or Ernst & Young.

Civil Servants: Pornography

Laura Smith: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many civil servants working in central government departments have been (a) dismissed or (b) subject to disciplinary proceedings for accessing pornographic material while at work since 2010.

Caroline Nokes: The Civil Service does not have centrally held data on internal disciplinary processes.

Charities: Grants

Jon Trickett: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many Government grants were allocated to organisations with a UK charity number in (a) 2014-2015 and (b) 2015-2016; and what  the total value was of those grants.

Jon Trickett: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many Government grants were allocated to organisations with a UK charity number in (a) 2014-2015 and (b) 2015-2016, and what the total value of those grants was in each of those years.

Chris Skidmore: The data on the Government Grants Information System is not sufficiently robust to provide a comprehensive picture of total funding to organisations with a charity number for the Financial Years 2014/15 and 2015/16. This is because we did not begin collecting award level data until 2015/16. From 2016/17 departments are required to record charity numbers against all applicable grants, this will improve the dataset for future years.

Department for International Development

Palestinians: Overseas Aid

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what mechanisms her Department uses to ensure that UK aid does not fund radicalisation in the Palestinian Territories.

Alistair Burt: DFID complies with both domestic and international counter terrorism financing law, and formal agreements ensure all partners adhere to the Terrorism Act (2000). UK aid to the Palestinian Authority (PA) is provided directly through an EU mechanism, contributing to the salaries of vetted public servants in the health and education sectors. Only named public servants from a pre-approved EU list are eligible, and the vetting process includes screening against international and ad hoc sanctions lists designed to prevent terrorism financing. UK support to the PA is governed by a Memorandum of Understanding, which includes the PA’s commitment to uphold the principle of non-violence. UK funding to the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (who have a neutrality policy) and other implementation partners is monitored through regular field visits, programme reviews, and independent audits.

Palestinians: Overseas Aid

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether the Government plans to fund the Palestinian Authority other than in accordance with the Government response, Future UK support to the Occupied Palestinian Territories published on 16 December 2016, and in particular paragraphs 1 and 2 of the notes to editors as claimed by WAFA, the Palestinian National Authority news agency on 25 November 2017.

Alistair Burt: UK financial assistance to the Palestinian Authority (PA) continues to be provided in accordance with the Government response, “Future UK support to the Occupied Palestinian Territories” published on 16 December 2016. UK financial assistance to the PA is only used to help pay the salaries of health and education public servants in the West Bank. Only named public servants from a pre-approved EU list are eligible and a robust verification system validates that funds are used for the intended purposes. This enables around 25,000 young Palestinians to get an education, provides up to 3,700 immunisations for children, and around 185,000 medical consultations annually.

Department for Education

Education: Qualifications

Thangam Debbonaire: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what information her Department holds on the assessment by UK National Recognition Information Centre that the International Certificate of Christian Education General Certificate is comparable to a Cambridge International Education O Level; and if she will make a statement.

Nick Gibb: The UK National Recognition Information Centre (UK NARIC) is the National Agency responsible for providing information, advice and expert opinion on vocational, academic and professional skills and qualifications from all over the world.A benchmarking study by UK NARIC has confirmed that the International Certificate of Christian Education General and Advanced Certificates can be considered to be comparable to the overall Cambridge International O and A Level standards. UK NARIC uses the term ‘comparable’ rather than ‘equivalent’. ‘Comparable’ acknowledges that two qualifications may be of the same academic standing, without necessarily having the same aims, curriculum or structure.

Department for Education: Brexit

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Education,with reference to the oral contribution of the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union to the House of Lords European Union Committee on 31 October 2017, how many civil servants her Department (a) has recruited and (b) expects to recruit to work on the UK leaving the EU.

Mr Robert Goodwill: Exit is an all-of-government operation. The Department for Exiting the European Union is doing detailed work with departments to understand the risks and opportunities of leaving the EU and to coordinate planning. A team within the Department for Education’s (DfE) International Education Division leads on providing advice to Ministers on EU Exit and exit-related issues. Members of staff across the DfE provide advice and analysis on EU Exit issues across a range of DfE policy areas as required. Given the interactions between EU exit work and the Department’s other priorities, it is not possible to give an accurate figure specifically for work on EU exit.

Wakefield City Academies Trust

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 29 November 2017 to Question 114846, what information her Department holds on reasons for the time taken for Wakefield City Academies Trust to pass the resolution to rebroker its academies.

Mr Robert Goodwill: After a disappointing set of results in 2016, Wakefield City Academies Trust worked closely with the Regional Schools Commissioners for Lancashire and West Yorkshire and East Midlands and the Humber on options for the trust’s future and how best to secure improvement for pupils in its schools. Following this, the trust passed a resolution to ask the department to re-broker its academies.

Social Mobility Commission

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the role and remit of the Social Mobility Commission will be upon appointment of its new Board.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The role and remit of the Social Mobility Commission is set out in legislation. There are no current plans to change the functions of the Commission and we intend to begin the public appointments process for a new Chair and Commissioners in due course.

Schools: Census

Sir Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what progress is being made on the review of parents’ right to retract nationality and country of birth data submitted through the school census; and whether parents will still be able to retract this data by responding that they refused in the Spring census.

Nick Gibb: Parents will remain able to retract nationality and country of birth information previously submitted through the school census for the remainder of the current academic year.

Pupils: Nationality

Sir Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Memorandum of Understanding between her Department and the Home Office published in December 2015, whether nationality data is used in the data-matching process that matches her Department's records with Home Office records submitted to it.

Nick Gibb: Nationality data is not used in the data matching process that matches Department for Education data with the Home Office. The current Memorandum of Understanding between the Department and the Home Office, which was revised in October 2016, is in the House Library.

Social Mobility

Jo Platt: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment she has made of the role of school education in improving social mobility; and if she will make a statement.

Mr Robert Goodwill: Tackling social mobility is the department’s priority. There is a substantial body of evidence showing a strong association between family income and a child’s educational attainment. Qualifications predict economic and social outcomes later in life. We will drive social mobility through the whole education system. There are 1.9 million more pupils in good or outstanding schools than in 2010. In December 2016, 91% of schools were rated ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’ for their leadership and management in their most recent Ofsted inspection. Teachers are one of the key drivers of social mobility in our country. Over a single school year, a strong teacher can help disadvantaged young people gain as much as an extra years’ worth of learning, compared to those taught by a weaker one.We have more teachers in our schools than ever before and the number of teachers has kept pace with changing numbers of pupils.

Agriculture: Training

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to encourage more young people to train in agriculture-based industries.

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans she has for the development of specialist careers advice for people who are considering study and careers in agricultural technologies.

Anne Milton: The careers strategy recognises the importance of attracting more young people into a wide range of careers and will create more high quality interactions between schools and employers. This should include agriculture-based industries and employers where appropriate, so that young people can be inspired about a broad range of opportunities. The National Careers Service provides independent, professional advice on careers, skills and the labour market. The website includes information factsheets on more than 130 industry areas and nearly 800 job profiles, including some agriculture-based industries and jobs.

Schools: Finance

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many (a) primary schools and (b) secondary schools are in financial special measures; and how many of those schools have been in financial special measures for more than (i) six months, (ii) 12 months, (iii) 18 months and (iv) 24 months.

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many (a) local authority maintained schools (b) academies and (c) free schools are currently in financial special measures; and of those how many have been in financial special measures for more than (i) 6 months (ii) 12 months (iii) 18 months (iv) 24 months.

Nick Gibb: Accountability for academy trusts is founded on a clear framework communicated and regulated by the Education Skills Funding Agency (EFSA), with effective oversight and compliance based on proportionate risk assessment, and robust intervention to help trusts reach a stronger position when things go wrong. Where there is a risk to public funds, the ESFA will intervene in a way that is proportionate to the risk and preserves the effective education of children. When the ESFA intervenes, it publishes financial notices to improve. These are available at GOV.UK at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/academies-financial-notices-to-improve.   The evidence demonstrates strong financial management in the majority of academy trusts. Fewer than 2% of academy trusts are subject to an active Financial Notice to Improve.   For maintained schools, each Local Authority (LA) is required to publish a scheme for financing schools. This scheme should include a provision that allows the authority to issue a notice of concern to any of its maintained schools. The notice is separate from LA’s powers to withdraw financial delegation, where withdrawal is the most appropriate action. The Department publishes statutory guidance on these schemes, which can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/486440/Scheme_for_Financing_Schools_Dec_2015.pdf.   As each LA has the freedom to tailor its scheme and set the criteria for individual notices, records for such notices are held by the individual authority concerned.

Pre-school Education: Lewisham Deptford

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of children who are (a) eligible and (b) not eligible for free school meals have achieved school readiness standards at the end of the Early Years Foundation Stage in each year since 2010 in Lewisham Deptford constituency.

Mr Robert Goodwill: Data has been provided for years 2013 to 2017 in the table attached. Data prior to 2013 is not readily available.Following an independent review of the Early Years Foundation Stage, a revised profile was introduced in September 2012 with the first assessments taking place in summer 2013. The revised profile is very different to the previous profile which has led to a break in the time series as the results are not comparable.



Data for years 2013 to 2017
(Word Document, 26.26 KB)

Children: Day Care

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate her Department has made of the uptake of funded childcare for (a) two-year-olds and (b) three-year-olds from (i) disadvantaged and (ii) non-disadvantaged households in Lewisham Deptford constituency.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The Department for Education (DfE) does not hold information on take-up of funded childcare for disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged households. However, the 2-year-old free entitlement is specifically for disadvantaged children, and take-up nationally is 71%, up 13 percentage points from 2015.Information on take-up at constituency level is not readily available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.Take-up rates for 2- and 3-year-olds by local authority are published in Table 5LA of the ‘Education Provision for Children Under 5 Years of Age’ Statistical First Release: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/education-provision-children-under-5-years-of-age-january-2017.Take-up rates for 2-year-olds are calculated using the estimated number of eligible children derived from data supplied to the DfE by the Department for Work and Pensions on the number of children believed to meet the benefit and tax credit eligibility criteria. It represents the best data available on the number of eligible children in each local authority area. Take-up rates for 3-year-olds are calculated using adjusted population estimates from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).In January 2017, take-up of the 2-year-old offer in Lewisham local authority was 60%. This is a decrease of one percentage point from 2016, but an increase of 12 percentage points since 2015. The current take up level is below the national average of 71%.In January 2017, take-up of the universal 3-year-old entitlement in Lewisham local authority was 81%, a decrease of 3 percentage points since 2016. The current take up level is below the national average of 93%.In 2015, take-up rates for 3-year-olds was 93% in the most deprived decile of areas in the UK, using DfE and ONS data to calculate take up rates: https://www.nao.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Entitlement-to-free-early-education-and-childcare.pdf.

Vocational Education

Rebecca Long Bailey: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to page 103 of the Industrial Strategy,  when she plans to undertake a review into higher level technical education at levels 4 and 5.

Anne Milton: The government announced a review of higher technical education on 31 October. We want to allow T level students in 2020 to have a clear sight of progression pathways into higher education. During the review we will engage with employers, education providers, students, and others with expertise in this area and I will keep the House updated on progress.

ICT: Education

Rebecca Long Bailey: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to page 110 of the Industrial Strategy, when she expects the National Centre for Computing Education to be in operation.

Nick Gibb: The new National Centre for Computing Education will form part of the government’s new £84 million package over the next five years to improve the teaching of computing and drive up participation in computer science. The centre will support a national network for schools to provide training and resources to primary and secondary schools. We are currently developing plans for the delivery of the package and will be announcing more details about the National Centre in due course.

Department for Education: Written Questions

Tracy Brabin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, for what reason she has not answered Named Day Question 116931 submitted on 30 November 2017.

Mr Robert Goodwill: I responded to the hon. Member for Batley and Spen, Tracey Brabin, within the time limit on 5 December 2017. The answer can be found here:http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-questions-answers/?page=1&max=20&questiontype=AllQuestions&house=commons%2clords&uin=116931.

Student Loans Company: Complaints

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of complaints to the Student Loan Company have been dealt with in the advertised timescale in the last 12 months.

Joseph Johnson: In the last 12 months (December 2016 to November 2017), the Student Loans Company (SLC) has responded to 93.5% of Stage 1 complaints within the advertised 15 day response time. When measured from the start of this financial year (2017-18), the SLC has responded to 96.9% of Stage 1 complaints within the advertised response time.

Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that all schools teach awareness of violence against women and girls.

Nick Gibb: As part of the Government response to the Women and Equalities select committee report into sexual harassment and sexual violence in schools we are considering how best to ensure pupils learn about healthy and respectful relationships as part of Relationships Education in primary schools and Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) in secondary schools. This is an important aspect in improving awareness about violence, including against women and girls. We have begun an engagement process with stakeholders to help reach evidence-based decisions on the content of the regulations and guidance on Relationships Education and RSE, as well as further consideration of the status of Personal, Social, Health and Economic education. We envisage draft regulations and guidance will be published for consultation in 2018. Regulations will then be laid alongside final draft guidance allowing for a full and considered debate in Parliament. In addition, schools and colleges must have regard to statutory guidance Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) when carrying out their duties to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. KCSIE sets out that governing bodies and proprietors should ensure children are taught about safeguarding, including online safety.

Primary Education: Assessments

Tracy Brabin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the cost to the public purse will be of developing the new reception baseline assessment announced in September 2017.

Nick Gibb: The Standards and Testing Agency is currently seeking a contractor to develop and deliver the new reception baseline assessment. The contract will cover the development, pilot and first two years of statutory delivery of the assessment. The total value of the contract is estimated to be no more than £9.8 million over four academic years from September 2018 to August 2022. The majority of costs will be for the annual delivery of the assessment rather than its development.

Ministry of Justice

Prisoners: Compensation

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much compensation has been paid to prisoners as a result of delays in parole hearings in each year since March 2010.

Mr Sam Gyimah: We have worked closely with the Parole Board to help them progress cases more quickly, and to eliminate the backlog of delayed cases by the end of this year. This should lead to a decrease in the number of compensation claims in future years. We have provided additional funding for 100 new Parole Board members – a near 60% increase - and established a dedicated MoJ unit to help progress complex cases. We are ensuring prisoners can secure release by showing genuine progress while fulfilling our most important duty - protecting the public The amount of compensation paid to prisoners as a result of delays in parole hearings in the years 2009/10 - 2016/17 is set out below. YearAmount2009-10£30,0002010-11£49,0002011-12£243,0002012-13£87,0002013-14£91,0002014-15£144,0002015-16£554,000

Prisoners: Self-harm

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the average number of self-harm incidents by prisoners has been per prison in England and Wales since March 2017.

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the average number of prisoner-on-prisoner assaults recorded has been per prison in England and Wales since March 2017.

Mr Sam Gyimah: Details of self-harm incidents and assaults occurring in prisons, including a breakdown of incident numbers by establishment, are released by MoJ annually in the Safety in Custody National Statistics bulletin. Data for March 2017 onwards will be published in the next release, in April 2018.

Prisons: Labour Turnover

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the average level of staff turnover has been per prison in England and Wales since March 2017.

Mr Sam Gyimah: The staff turnover, known as leaving rate, for all staff in prisons in England and Wales since March 2017 to September 2017 is provided in the attached table.



117545 Table
(Excel SpreadSheet, 15.26 KB)

Prisons: Fire and Rescue Services

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the average number of times is the local Fire and Rescue service has been called to prisons in England and Wales per prison since March 2017.

Mr Sam Gyimah: The information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Rape: Trials

Ms Harriet Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 13 November 2017 to Question 9826, what method the CPS used to select the sample of case files to assess the frequency and outcome of applications seeking to introduce into rape proceedings evidence of the complainant's sexual history under s.41 of the Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999.

Dominic Raab: The CPS randomly selected 2 case files from each calendar month in 2016 flagged as ‘rape’ on the Case Management System for every CPS area in England and Wales.

Rape: Trials

Ms Harriet Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 13 November 2017 to Question 9826, what crimes were selected for the sample of case files selected by the CPS to assess the frequency and outcome of applications seeking to introduce into rape proceedings evidence of the complainant's sexual history.

Dominic Raab: The CPS selected case files covering finalised proceedings flagged as ‘rape’ on the Case Management System (CMS). A case will be flagged as ‘rape’ if it is referred to the CPS for a charging decision on one of the following offences:S1 Sexual Offences Act 1956S5 Sexual Offences Act 1956S1 Sexual Offences Act 2003S5 Sexual Offences Act 2003S30(3) Sexual Offences act 2003An attempt to commit any of the above offences under the Criminal Attempts Act 1981Incitement or conspiracy to commit any of the above offences

Rape: Trials

Ms Harriet Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 13 November 2017 to Question 9826 how many case files were selected by the Crown Prosecution Service for the sample of case files selected to assess the frequency and outcome of applications seeking to introduce into rape proceedings evidence of the complainant's sexual history.

Dominic Raab: The Crown Prosecution Service selected 309 case files flagged as ‘rape’ on the Case Management System which were finalised in the calendar year 2016.

Prisons: Ministers of Religion

Jared O'Mara: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if the Government will take steps to ensure the continued provision of quality assured chaplaincy services in prisons by maintaining the guidelines set out in PSI 5/2016 and incorporating them into any future policy framework.

Mr Sam Gyimah: PSI 05/2016 Faith and Pastoral Care of Prisoners is not in the first tranche of PSIs to be deregulated. When it is replaced by a Policy Framework I am confident that Governors will have the guidance they need to ensure the delivery of chaplaincy services that meet the pastoral and faith needs of prisoners. Discussions are already under way to see how the present Assurance and Compliance quality assurance process may be developed to support delivery of chaplaincy services in the future.

Prisons: Ministers of Religion

Jared O'Mara: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if his Department will include access to chaplaincy in its performance measures for prisons on time spent out of cells engaging in purposeful activity.

Mr Sam Gyimah: The Chaplaincy manually records prisoner attendance at Chaplaincy services. Prisoner attendance at Chaplaincy is normally counted as purposeful activity in the same way as any other intervention that involves time out of cells.

Rape: Trials

Ms Harriet Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 13 November 2017 to Question 9826, at which grades of staffing are Crown Prosecution Service staff selected to review the sample of case files to assess the frequency and outcome of applications seeking to introduce into rape proceedings evidence of the complainant's sexual history.

Dominic Raab: The cases were reviewed by Senior Crown Prosecutors (Grade 7) or above.

Rape: Trials

Ms Harriet Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 13 November 2017 to Question 9826 on rape: trials, in which Crown Courts those applications were made; and in how many case files from each of those Crown Courts were put into the sample of case files selected by the Crown Prosecution Service to assess the frequency and outcome of applications seeking to introduce into rape proceedings evidence of the complainant's sexual history under section 41 of the Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999.

Dominic Raab: The cases were selected for review by CPS area not Crown Court centre. Of the 40 Section 41 applications made 7 were received by CPS North West, 7 by CPS Thames & Chiltern, 4 by CPS North East, 3 by CPS London North, 3 by CPS Eastern, 3 by CPS East Midlands, 3 by CPS Wales, 3 by CPS West Midlands, 2 by CPS South West, 2 by CPS South East, 2 by CPS Mersey-Cheshire and 1 by CPS Yorkshire & Humberside.

Rape: Trials

Ms Harriet Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 13 November 2017 to Question 9826 on rape: trials, over what time period  the Crown Prosecution Service selected the court cases which constituted the sample of case files to assess the frequency and outcome of applications seeking to introduce into rape proceedings evidence of the complainant's sexual history under section 41 of the Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999.

Dominic Raab: The files selected for review were all cases flagged as ‘rape’ on the Case Management System which had been finalised during the calendar year 2016. This included cases which proceeded to trial and cases which resulted in guilty plea.

Rape: Trials

Ms Harriet Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 13 November 2017 to Question 9826, what the total number of rape and sexual assault trials heard in the Crown Courts was during the same time period over which the sample of case files was selected by the Crown Prosecution Service to assess the frequency and outcome of applications seeking to introduce into rape proceedings evidence of the complainant's sexual history under section 41 of the Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999.

Dominic Raab: The number of finalised contest outcomes (inclusive of mixed pleas) for cases flagged as ‘rape’ on the Case Management System in 2016 was 2,929.The number of finalised contest outcomes (inclusive of mixed pleas) for cases flagged as ‘sexual offences excluding rape’ on the Case Management System in 2016 was 3,348.

Rape: Trials

Ms Harriet Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 13 November 2017 to Question 9826 on rape: trials, what national and local data on applications under section 41 of the Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999 was being recorded by the Crown Prosecution Service at the time when the sample cases were selected.

Dominic Raab: The CPS does not currently routinely record data relating to Section 41 applications at a local or national level.

Prisoners: Self-harm

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the average number of self-harm incidents by prisoners per prison has been in England and Wales in each of the last five years.

Mr Sam Gyimah: Details of self-harm incidents occurring in prisons, including a breakdown of incident numbers by establishment, are released by MoJ annually in the Safety in Custody National Statistics bulletin. Data for 2017 will be published in the next release, in April 2018. Average figures for previous years can be derived from table 2.13 at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/654502/safety-in-custody-self-harm-dec-16.xls.

Immigration: Legal Aid Scheme

Carolyn Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of bringing non-asylum immigration claims for children back into scope of legal aid.

Dominic Raab: The Government is committed to the protection of vulnerable children, especially in cases where children lack adequate parental support. Changes to the availability of legal aid for civil legal cases were made in the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (LASPO) and as such a consideration of the effects of the changes will be made as part of our Post-Implementation Review of the Act, which will report by summer recess 2018. Support for children in non-asylum immigration cases remains available through the Exceptional Case Funding Scheme (ECF) where failure to provide legal aid would breach their rights under the European Convention on Human Rights or EU law, subject to means and merits tests.

Ministry of Defence

Ukraine: Military Aid

Martin Docherty-Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will clarify the statement by the Prime Minister of Canada on 18 September 2017 that Canada and the UK will continue to partner in Ukraine to support Defence reform and institutional capacity building.

Gavin Williamson: Holding answer received on 06 December 2017



The UK and Canada, as well as other partner nations, are working closely together, providing advice on strategic defence reform in Ukraine through our respective representatives on the Defence Reform Advisory Board. The UK and Canadian representatives have developed a particularly effective working relationship and are currently pursuing initiatives that could lead to even closer co-operation and co-ordination.Alongside this, the UK and Canada have both had military training missions supporting the Ukrainian Armed Forces in-country since 2015 and, as the Prime Minister announced in Ottawa, we have agreed with the Canadians to conduct joint training of the UAF from the beginning of 2018, focusing on capabilities including joint reconnaissance, counter-sniper and military policing. This will be complementary to the wider range of defensive, non-escalatory military training delivered by the UK through Operational ORBITAL.

Ministry of Defence: Redundancy Pay

Douglas Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 3 November 2017 to Question 110195, whether his Department funds redundancy payments to staff employed by his Department's contractors when redundancies are made as a direct result of the termination or change to a Government contract; and whether those costs were included in that answer.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) may fund redundancy costs to contractors in certain circumstances. The nature of the contract and the specific circumstances of the termination or change would determine exactly how compensation, including any potential redundancy costs, would be calculated. Such costs were not included in the previous answer as that referred solely to the MOD's civilian employees.

Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many flying hours have been completed on VIP configured RAF Voyager aircraft in each of the last 12 months.

Harriett Baldwin: From November 2016 to November 2017 the VIP configured RAF Voyager was used for VIP tasking for a total of 214 Hours and 16 Minutes.Statistics are recorded as 'chock-to-chock' times from engine start to engine shutdown, so they include taxi time between the gate and the runway around the aerodromes. This aircraft also undertakes training and air-to-air refuelling flights when not required for VIP tasking.

Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, on how many occasions in the past 12 months flights on VIP-configured RAF Voyager aircraft have been diverted from their intended destinations due to technical issues.

Harriett Baldwin: In the past 12 months no VIP flights on VIP-configured RAF Voyager aircraft have been diverted from their intended destinations due to technical issues.

Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the cost of operating VIP configured RAF Voyager aircraft was in the last 12 months.

Harriett Baldwin: Government Departments provide transparency releases on the gov.uk website concerning the costs and details of Ministerial transport on a regular basis.In addition the Royal Household publish the costs and details of Royal Travel as an Annex to the Royal Household Annual Financial reports that are published on the royal.uk website.

Air Force: Staff

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many RAF weapons systems operators have (a) joined and (b) left the RAF in each of the last five years.

Mark Lancaster: Following the Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR) 2010 the requirement for Weapons Systems Operators was removed due to the reduction of several aircraft types. However, as announced in SDSR 2015, the future procurement and extension in service of a number of aircraft means that there is now an increased requirement for Weapons Systems Operators. The number of RAF Weapons Systems Operators who have joined the RAF, and those who have left the RAF in each of the last five Financial Years is given below: Financial YearIntake to TrainingOutflow from Trained Regular Strength2012-1321132013-140842014-1511672015-1624772016-173044

Type 45 Destroyers

Martin Docherty-Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, for how many days all six Daring-class Type 45 destroyers have been berthed together at HMNB Portsmouth during 2017.

Harriett Baldwin: Every ship involves them entering different readiness levels depending on their programmes and Departmental planning requirements together.

Armed Forces: Defence Equipment

Ruth Smeeth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking in order to reduce cannibalism of equipment in the Armed Forces.

Harriett Baldwin: Cannibalisation or the use of fit parts for repairable equipment, is a recognised Defence practice for satisfying a material demand with a required delivery date and has been in place for decades in the Armed Forces. It is only used when all other sources of supply have been explored and is essential to protecting the operational programmes of the Armed Forces..For the Army, cannibalisation, is an extreme option that may only be authorised by the operational Equipment Support Commander in order to support priority missions.

Special Forces

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the National Audit Office has inspected the accounts of the office of the Director of Special Forces since its establishment in 1987; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Lancaster: The National Audit Office has a thorough process for inspecting all aspects of the Department's accounts. The Department does not routinely comment on any aspect of Special Forces.

Military Decorations: Aden

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans he has to commemorate those who gave their lives in Aden.

Mark Lancaster: The Armed Forces Memorial, at the National Memorial Arboretum in Shropshire, is a nationally significant focus for Remembrance. It honours those members of the Armed Forces (Regular and Reserve) who were killed on duty while performing functions attributable to the special circumstances and requirements of the Armed Forces, or as a result of terrorist action, and those who died while deployed on designated operations. This includes those who lost their lives in the Aden Emergency.All those brave Service personnel who gave their lives in conflict were commemorated by the Ministry of Defence on Remembrance Sunday at the Cenotaph; the Department has no current plans to specifically commemorate those who gave their lives during the Aden Emergency of 1963-67.

Army: Females

Nia Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many women (a) applied for, (b) were accepted on and (c) completed the UK Officer Commissioning Course at Royal Military Academy Sandhurst for each course since the start of 2015.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: The number of women who made Regular Officer applications relevant to the period requested is given below.Application yearNumber of Officer applications made by women20142,24020152,55020163,5202017 to 30 September2,810The number of women who attended and completed the UK Officer Commissioning Course at Royal Military Academy Sandhurst for each course from January 2015 is given below.   Regular Course Start MonthFemale Course AttendeesFemale Course PassesJanuary 20152010May 20153020September 20152020January 20163020May 20162020September 20164030January 201730 May 201730 September 201720  Notes The figures above are for Regular Officers only. Figures for Professionally Qualified Officers and Reserves are not available in the time available. These figures are single service estimates only and are not official statistics produced by Defence Statistics. Individual applications within table one cannot be directly linked with individual course attendees in table two. The first table shows the number of applications made by women. Some may have made multiple applications. Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10, except where specified; numbers ending in 5 have been rounded to the nearest multiple of 20 to prevent systematic bias. Rounding is necessary, as a means of disclosure control and the preservation of anonymity; it also improves the clarity of output and conveys an appropriate level of precision to users.

Military Exercises

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many (a) Infantry, (b) Royal Artillery, (c) Royal Corps of Signals, (d) Army Medical Services, (e) Adjutant General's Corps, (f) Royal Armoured Corps, (g) Army Air Corps, (h) Royal Engineers, (i) Royal Logistics Corps, (j) Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers and (k) Intelligence Corps overseas training exercises have been (i) held and (ii) cancelled in each of the last five years.

Mark Lancaster: The number of overseas training exercises held and cancelled for the Corps requested in the last five years is provided in the attached table. In addition to the exercises shown in the attachment, a number of overseas collective training exercises, which contain elements of numerous cap badges, based upon an Infantry or Armoured Brigade, will have also taken place during the requested period.



Overseas Training Exercises
(Word Document, 34.44 KB)

Ministry of Defence: Internet

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much his Department spent on external website design consultants in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Defence: Scotland

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his oral contribution of 27 November 2017, Official Report, column 2, if he will set out in more detail what the £1.5 billion of defence investment in Scotland is being spent on.

Gavin Williamson: The £1.5 billion of defence investment in Scotland over a 10 year period will be spent on improvements to infrastructure at Faslane, Coulport and Lossiemouth.The planned investment in Faslane and Coulport includes the Faslane Nuclear Infrastructure Continuous Availability Project, Coulport Infrastructure Continuous Availability Project and the Faslane Nuclear Support Hub. There will also be improvements to Single Living Accommodation.There will also be significant spend at Lossiemouth to provide infrastructure for the P-8A Maritime Patrol Aircraft fleet and additional Typhoon Front Line squadron.

Defence Equipment: Expenditure

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his oral contribution of 27 November 2017, Official Report, column 4, what the value of the real terms increase in defence spending on defence equipment has been over the last five years.

Gavin Williamson: In the five years from 2012-13 to 2016-17 spend on the equipment programme grew by an average of 3.5% per year in real terms.

Defence Innovation Fund

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the oral contribution of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence of 27 November 2017, Official Report, column 14, what the value of successful applications to the Defence Innovation Fund has been during 2017.

Harriett Baldwin: The value of successful applications to the Defence Innovation Fund to date in 2017 is £6,649,477.

Ministry of Defence: Disclosure of Information

Mrs Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 4 December 2017 to Question 116529, on Ministry of Defence: Disclosure of information, whether his Department always notifies families of their right to seek redactions and the removal of names of family members prior to publication.

Mrs Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 4 December 2017 to Question 116529, on Ministry of Defence: Disclosure of information, how many reports were compiled in the period 2014 to 2016; and what (a) the dates of completion, (b) the dates of publication and (c) the notification periods were that were given to the affected families for each of those reports.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: The Ministry of Defence takes great care to respect the wishes of bereaved families. In accordance with Joint Service Publication 832 ‘Guide to Service Inquiries’, Service Inquiries (SIs) are redacted prior to publication, including the removal of any bereaved family members names. Redactions are carried out in strict accordance with the requirements of the Data Protection Act. The Department will always give a minimum of seven days’ notice to Next-of-Kin prior to the publication of an SI. In many cases, the notification period is significantly longer. The requested information on the six SIs which were published in the period 2014 to 2016 which involved at least one fatality is given below. Date of SI CompletionDate of SI Publication on Gov.ukNotification of publication to Affected Families15 May 20136 February 2014Minimum of 7 days7 November 201330 June 2014March 201411 March 201514 July 201529 April 20153 February 201617 March 20165 February 20164 March 201617 August 20161 April 201615 September 201615 December 201626 October 2016

Ministry of Defence: Disclosure of Information

Mrs Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 4 December 2017 to Question 116530, on Ministry of Defence: Disclosure of information, whether his Department has received agreement from the other families involved to publish the report.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: It is not appropriate for the Ministry of Defence to disclose the details of any discussions it has with, or the views of families about the contents or publication of reports.

Ministry of Defence: Equality

Nia Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 26 June 2017 to Question 438, when his Department plans to publish its new strategic equality objectives.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: Following the publication of the Government's Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy in October 2017 the Department's new strategic objectives are in the process of being finalised and will be published in due course.

Defence: Finance

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent assessment his Department has made as to whether the 2 per cent of GDP spending target is sufficient to meet UK defence needs over the next 20 years.

Gavin Williamson: The commitment to spend 2% of GDP on Defence came after a thorough examination of threats and risks, after which the Government decided on an appropriate level of funding. The 2% commitment should be seen as a base and not a target.The Government are committed to spending 2% of GDP on Defence until 2022. Commitments on Defence spending beyond this point will be laid out in future Spending Reviews.

Saudi Arabia: Armed Forces

Lloyd Russell-Moyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if the Government will review its policy on military training for Saudi Arabia as a result of the allegations that 2nd Battalion the Royal Regiment of Scotland undertook irregular warfare training for the Royal Saudi Land Forces Infantry Institute.

Gavin Williamson: Training provided to Saudi Arabia is under constant review. The UK is not training the Saudi Armed Forces in irregular activity but is providing courses in how to counter it.

Armed Forces: Training

Mrs Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 5 December 2017 to Question 115775, what guidance his Department has issued to users of dynamic risk assessments to decide whether to (a) continue, (b) pause and (c) stop an activity where one or more participants have been assessed as having a heat injury.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: If heat illness is suspected, the Commander's Guide requires the following for an individual:• Pause the activity for the individual for at least 30 minutes• Remove the individual from immediate danger and prevent any further casualties from occurring• First Aid should always address airway, breathing and circulation problems first.For a group the following is required:• Pause the activity to assess everyone in the group• A single case is a warning that others are at risk• Check for other cases; there could be several over a dispersed geographical location• The Commander is to carry out a dynamic risk assessment of the activity and is to consider other control measures including stopping the activity. If ok, recommence activity.It is the Commander's decision as to whether the risk has risen to an unacceptable level in which the event should cease or if the risk is within acceptable levels for the event to continue. There is an option to alter the activity.

Armed Forces: Housing

Jonathan Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many military houses his Department owned in (a) 2010, (b) 2011, (c) 2012, (d) 2013, (e) 2014, (f) 2015, (g) 2016 and (h) 2017.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: The number of Service Family Accommodation (SFA) properties owned by the Ministry of Defence between 1 April 2010 and 1 April 2017 is as follows: DateNumber of SFA1 April 20106,7421 April 20116,7101 April 20126,8661 April 20137,1851 April 20147,5471 April 20157,8401 April 20168,2851 April 20178,232

Department for Work and Pensions

Universal Credit

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans he has to ensure that local authorities are regularly informed by his Department of households in their area in receipt of universal credit in which a child is or is about to be two years’ old to ensure that local authorities can promote free early years education entitlement for two-year-olds to qualifying households; and if he will make a statement.

Damian Hinds: Early Years Education for Disadvantaged 2 Year Olds is a policy of the Department for Education which aims to ensure that less advantaged children can benefit from high quality early education by providing 15 hours of free early years education and childcare. Entitlement to early education is based on criteria set by the Department for Education. The Department for Work and Pensions has a system in place to provide Department for Education with information of eligible households, including qualifying households who are in receipt of Universal Credit and other legacy benefits. We are working closely with the Department for Education to improve our data-sharing process and ensure the accuracy of information that is provided.

Universal Credit

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate his Department has made of the average length of time taken to complete a universal credit claim from registration to declaration.

Damian Hinds: For all declarations to 6th December 2017 the average length of time from registration to declaration was 2 days.

Universal Credit

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the extent of problems new universal credit claimants are having with the digital service claimant journey.

Damian Hinds: Over 80% of people are satisfied with their experience of Universal Credit and are comfortable managing their finances. The main route to access Universal Credit is through digital channels and 99% of Universal Credit claims are made online. Wi-Fi and computers are available in Jobcentres across the country, including 8000 additional computers installed to support the introduction of Universal Credit. This provides digital access in every Jobcentre for claimants to use when they do not have access at home. A free telephone helpline and face to face support are also available for claimants to make and manage a Universal Credit claim. We are also making £200m available for Universal Support which provides advice, assistance or support from Jobcentre Plus or local partners to help Universal Credit claimants with managing their claim or award of Universal Credit, including building their IT confidence.

Universal Credit

Jared O'Mara: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reasons there are differences between the timelines of his Department's Universal Credit Transition Roll-Out Schedules published in (a) November 2016 and (b) November 2017.

Damian Hinds: As announced by the Secretary of State in his Oral Statement, to accommodate the changes in the scope of Universal Credit announced in the Budget, it has been necessary to make changes to the rollout plan. We have carefully revised the rollout plan to ensure we continue safely and gradually to rollout this important welfare reform, and this will mean a slight change in date for when Universal Credit Full Service will be rolled out in some Jobcentres.

Universal Credit

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of potential universal credit claimants failed to complete their registration in the first seven days after registering their account.

Damian Hinds: The information requested is not available.

Universal Credit

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of potential universal credit claimants failed to complete their registration in the 28 days after account verification.

Damian Hinds: The information requested is not available.

Apprentices: Social Security Benefits

Lucy Powell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many families with 16-18 year olds on apprenticeships have had their benefits (a) reduced and (b) withdrawn in each of the last 12 months.

Damian Hinds: The information requested is not available.

Local Housing Allowance

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many amendments he has made to the Local Housing Allowance areas over the last five years, and whether he plans to make further revisions.

Caroline Dinenage: There have been no amendments to any Broad Rental Market Areas (BRMAs) in the past five years. BRMAs are geographical areas used for the purposes of setting Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rates in the private rented sector. Whilst Rent Officers are able to review these areas, any changes to the BRMA boundaries must be referred to the Secretary of State for approval, as laid down in the Rent Officers (Housing Benefit Functions) Order 1997 and the Rent Officers (Universal Credit Functions) Order 2013.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Primates: Pets

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the timetable is for his Department's review of the Code of Practice for the Welfare of Privately Kept Non-Human Primates; and how that review will be undertaken.

George Eustice: There is no date set for the review of the Code of Practice for the Welfare of Privately Kept Non-human Primates (the primate code). The welfare codes for cats, dogs and horses are currently being reviewed because they are in greater need of being updated. The primate code is available for local authorities to use in any situations where they have concerns about the welfare of such animals.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Vacancies

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the number of vacancies in his Department has been in each month since January 2015; and if he will make a statement

George Eustice: The number of vacancies that core Defra has advertised in each month since January 2015 is listed in the attached table. The increase from June 2016 is mainly a response to the requirement to resource the department to support a successful exit from the EU.



Defra vacancies table
(PDF Document, 210.1 KB)

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Official Cars

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many vehicles in his Department's fleet are (a) electric vehicles and (b) ultra-low emission vehicles.

George Eustice: The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs does not own any vehicles but currently leases the following electric or ultra-low emission vehicles. aElectric vehicles2bUltra-low emission vehicles9 We aim to move to 100% of our car fleet to hybrid or pure electric vehicles by 2025.

African Swine Fever

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the spread of African swine fever; and if he will make a statement

George Eustice: An updated Preliminary Outbreak Assessment on African Swine Fever in Eastern Europe was published on 4 December 2017. The assessment takes into account the wild boar infection identified in an unrestricted area of Poland and associated risks to the UK. It is available on GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/african-swine-fever-in-pigs-in-poland-lithuania-and-latvia Defra, the Scottish Government, the Welsh Government and DAERA in Northern Ireland are currently working on a joint media campaign with the pig industry and veterinary bodies to remind the public and food producers of the illegality of feeding kitchen and catering waste to all pigs. This is due to the risk of introducing potentially devastating notifiable diseases, including African Swine Fever and Foot and Mouth Disease. Messaging will also highlight what pig keepers can feed their pigs.

Animal Welfare: Codes of Practice

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 1 December 2017 to Question 115879, what the timetable is for the publication of the updated statutory welfare codes for (a) meat (b) chickens (c) pigs (d) laying hens (e) cats (f) dogs and (g) horses.

George Eustice: New statutory welfare codes for meat chickens, cats, dogs and horses will be laid in both Houses shortly. We will be consulting on new statutory welfare codes for laying hens and pigs in the new year.

Dogs: Animal Welfare

Dr Lisa Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to ensure the adequacy of the welfare standards of licensed sellers of puppies.

George Eustice: Following an extensive public consultation, Defra is developing new regulations on licensed pet sellers that will require them to abide by statutory minimum welfare standards. The new regulations are planned to be published in the New Year.

Flood Control

Mark Menzies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate he has made of public spending on flood prevention in (a) Fylde constituency and (b) the UK in each of the (i) next and (ii) last five years.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: The table below summarises Government investment (Flood Defence Grant in Aid or FDGiA) to flood and coastal risk management schemes in the Fylde constituency and England between April 2012 and March 2021. YearFylde FDGiA (£k)England FDGiA (£m)2012/132102692013/145953152014/151124792015/1604032016/176574472017/1815,1004132018/196,3174502019/20844902020/2179459

Pigs: Antibiotics

Sir Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, What discussions his Department has had with the Veterinary Medicines Directorate on retaining the use of antibiotics in medicated feed for prevention of disease in the pig sector.

George Eustice: Defra, through its Executive Agency, the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD), is working with the livestock industry and the animal feed sector to ensure good stewardship of antibiotics, regardless of the administration route, notably through the Responsible Use of Medicines in Agriculture Alliance (RUMA). In the pig sector, the VMD is a member of the Pig Health and Welfare Council’s antimicrobial usage subgroup and provides the secretariat. In October, RUMA published sector specific antibiotic use reduction targets. The targets for the pig sector noted that the need for targeted prophylaxis will remain to protect the health and welfare of pigs, but that habitual or routine prophylaxis (a “just in case” approach) should be rapidly phased out. The Government endorses these antibiotic use reduction targets.

Neonicotinoids

Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent estimate he has made of the number of crops on which neonicotinoids have been used; and if he will list those crops.

George Eustice: The three neonicotinoids covered by the EU restrictions are currently authorised for use in the UK on the following 25 crops: wheat; barley; oats; rye; durum wheat; triticale; sugar beet; fodder beet; potato; carrot; swede; ornamental plants; forest nursery; broccoli/calabrese; brussels sprout; cabbage; oriental cabbage; cauliflower; endive; kale; lettuce; apple; pear; hops and nursery fruit trees.

Bovine Tuberculosis: South West

Luke Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many badgers have been culled in the south west of England in the last twelve months.

George Eustice: The statistics for badgers culled during 2016 can be found via the following link:- https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/578436/summary-badger-control-monitoring-2016.pdf Cull statistics for 2017 will be published in due course.

Dredging

James Frith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what process his Department undertook to ensure that  UK has complied fully with OSPAR guidance in issuing the dredge and disposal permit Marine Licence 12/45/ML.

James Frith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what process his Department undertook to ensure that the UK has complied fully with the London Convention 1972 in issuing the dredge and disposal permit Marine Licence 12/45/ML?

George Eustice: Marine Licence 12/45/ML was issued by Natural Resources Wales, which is a matter for the Devolved Administration.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Brexit

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what quantitative assessments his Department has made of the effect of the UK leaving the EU on the sectors for which his Department is responsible.

George Eustice: As part of our preparations to leave the EU, we are in the process of carrying out a programme of rigorous and extensive analytical work that will contribute to our exit negotiations, help to define our future partnership with the EU, and inform our understanding of how leaving the EU will affect the UK’s domestic policies and frameworks. Our analysis is constantly evolving based on our discussions with stakeholders and our negotiations with the EU.

Agriculture: USA

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with the US Department of Agriculture on the potential for a free trade deal between the UK and the US.

George Eustice: The UK and the US have formally met twice, as part of the Trade and Investment Working Group. USDA are represented in the US contingent. These discussions have primarily focussed on providing commercial continuity for businesses as the UK leaves the EU. The Secretary of State, Michael Gove, hosted an introductory meeting with US Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue in October. The future trading relationship was discussed including the importance of protecting and enhancing current products such as UK whisky exports and US wine exports. The Secretary of State repeated his position on the importance of food safety and animal welfare standards.

Agricultural Products: Prices

Deidre Brock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the UK leaving the EU on farm gate prices.

George Eustice: As part of our preparations to leave the EU, we are in the process of carrying out a programme of analytical work that will contribute to our understanding of how withdrawal from the EU will affect the UK. The Queen’s Speech announced that an Agriculture Bill will be introduced during this session of Parliament. The Bill will allow us to deliver our manifesto commitment to provide stability to farmers, supporting the industry to compete domestically and on the global market, and will allow us to grow more, sell more and export more great British food. We are committed to getting the best possible deal that allows us to continue to have tariff-free and frictionless access for goods and services into the European market. We will also strike new trade deals around the world to help farmers take advantage of the growing appetite for Great British food.

Agriculture: Subsidies

Anna McMorrin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to match existing levels of Common Agricultural Policy funding after the UK leaves the EU.

George Eustice: The Government has pledged to continue to commit the same cash total in funds for farm support until the end of this Parliament, expected in 2022. This provides a greater level of security and certainty for farmers and landowners than anywhere else in the EU, where funding is guaranteed only until 2020.

Home Office

HM Passport Office: Compensation

David Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much compensation Her Majesty's Passport Office has paid out in each year since 2010.

Brandon Lewis: Since 2014/15 compensation payments for HM Passport Office are included within overall HM Passport Office costs disclosed in the Department’s Annual Report and Accounts.Prior to 2014/15 HM Passport Office produced its own Annual Reports and Accounts which disclosed all HM Passport Office income and expenditure, including compensation payments to customers.

Crime: Victims and Witnesses

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans she has to ensure that (a) victims of crime and (b) witnesses of crime can come forward and report crimes to police services without risk of immigration enforcement; and if she will make a statement.

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the effect of police services referring victims and witnesses of crime to the Home Office for immigration enforcement on access to justice for victims of crime with irregular migration status.

Brandon Lewis: It is important that criminal offences are reported to the police for investigation and that victims have access to justice. Where individuals involved in criminal cases have issues related to their immigration status, the Home Office will support the police, when asked to do so, by helping them to identify the persons concerned and establishing their status in the UK, and will consider any request from the police to place immigration enforcement action on hold in a particular case pending the resolution of criminal proceedings. The police and the Home Office also work together to identify victims of modern slavery and refer victims to appropriate sources of support. Each individual immigration case is considered on its merits by the Home Office and any relevant circumstances will be taken into account in determining applications to remain in the UK. Those without lawful status in the UK should take steps to engage with the Home Office so that their case can be properly considered.

National Security

Lloyd Russell-Moyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what representations her Department has made to overseas governments, police and law enforcement agencies and their respective procurement agents or representatives on the promotion of and invitation to the Security and Policing event in March 2018.

Mr Ben  Wallace: The Home office has made no direct representations. The Home Office have delegated the responsibility to contact overseas governments, police and law enforcement agencies to the UKTI DSO via there international trade missions.

Immigrants: Detainees

Eleanor Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the maximum amount of time is that a person can be detained in an immigration removal centre.

Brandon Lewis: Although there is no fixed time limit on immigration detention in the UK, case law is clear that, to be lawful, detention must last no longer than is reasonably necessary to achieve the purpose for which it was authorised, must not be unduly prolonged and, in relation to removal, there must be a realistic prospect of removal within a reasonable period of time. Published Home Office policy is clear that detention must only be used for the shortest period necessary. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/offender-management

Immigration Bail

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people were granted immigration bail in (a) 2015, (b) 2016 and (c) to date in 2017.

Brandon Lewis: Data on the number of people leaving detention in each quarter, by reason for leaving (including immigration bail), are published in table dt_06_q of the detention tables in the latest release of ‘Immigration Statistics, July to September 2017’, available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/662536/detention-jul-sep-2017-tables.ods

Visas: India

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will bring forward proposals to offer visitors from India an equivalent visitor visa arrangement to that already provided to Chinese visitors under the two-year multiple entry scheme to encourage trade and tourism between India and the UK.

Brandon Lewis: Since January 2016 the UK has offered a two-year validity visit visa to Chinese nationals for the same price as a six-month visa. This is a pilot scheme which we are running to assess the benefits and impacts of such an approach more broadly. There are currently no plans to extend this pilot to any other countries. The Home Office does, however, recognise that visitors from India are an important source of revenue for our tourism market and is committed to offering the most efficient and customer focused visa service in India.

Members: Correspondence

Alison Thewliss: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to respond to the letter of 8 September 2017 from the Member for Glasgow Central on a constituent, Velayutham Ahilan.

Brandon Lewis: The Director General of UKVI responded on 12 December.

Scotland Office

Scotland Office: Conferences

Deidre Brock: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many of his officials have attended conferences since May 2015 in (a) the UK and (b) overseas; and (i) how many and (ii) what percentage of those officials made (A) oral and (B) written contributions at those conferences.

David Mundell: This information is not held centrally.

HM Treasury

GovTech Fund

Jon Trickett: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the evidential basis was for the sum of £20 million allocated to the GovTech fund in Autumn Budget 2017; and if he will make a statement.

Elizabeth Truss: Technology is a key driver of productivity improvements. It is crucial that government invests in innovative applications of digital technology, to drive future savings, and to improve the quality of services for citizens. The £20 million GovTech Fund will enable public bodies to fund a number of challenges across a range of services, for three years starting in 2018-19. These challenges will allow public bodies to test and develop new, digital approaches to solving public sector problems.

Financial Services: Disadvantaged

Chi Onwurah: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the (a) potential for reduction in the cost of payments transactions and (b) effect of changes in that cost on financial inclusion.

Stephen Barclay: There are many types of different transactions, and government has not made a comprehensive assessment of the potential for reduction in the cost of payment transactions, or the effect of such changes on financial inclusion. However, the Government is taking action to drive down the cost of transactions. As an example, the interchange fee regulation (which came into force in December 2015 and caps one of the costs associated with card) is thought to have saved businesses c£500m in transaction costs[1], and is encouraging firms to pass on this saving to customers. From 13 January 2018, for most retail payments, merchants will also not be able to add a surcharge just for using a particular payment instrument. The Government is also supporting competition in payments to drive down costs. The second Payment Services Directive (PSDII) will provide for greater competition by creating a regulatory regime for new payment initiation services, which are generally lower cost than card services. Furthermore, in 2015, the Government established the Payment Systems Regulator (PSR) in 2015, with statutory objectives including promoting competition and innovation, and ensuring that user needs are taken into account. [1] According to analysis by the British Retail consortium

Common Fisheries Policy

Tom Brake: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, which Department will be allocated funds repatriated from the Common Fisheries Policy after the UK has left the EU.

Elizabeth Truss: Decisions on allocations to Departments for replacement EU funding are yet to be taken. This includes the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund. Decisions will be made in light of wider UK strategic priorities and other domestic spending decisions.

Child Tax Credit: Overpayments

Rehman Chishti: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many demand notices for an overpayment of child tax credit have been sent out in the last financial year.

Elizabeth Truss: It is not possible to identify the volume of overpayment demand notices relating specifically to Child Tax Credit. Tax credit overpayment data relating to Working Tax Credits and Child Tax Credits combined for 2015-16 is available publically and can be found on page 8 of the Child and Working Tax Credits, Finalised Annual Awards, Supplement on Payments National Statistics at; https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/617181/Child_and_Working_Tax_Credits_statistics_finalised_annual_awards__supplement_on_payments_-_2015_to_2016.pdf The equivalent information for 2016-17 will be published in May/June 2018.

Mersey Gateway Bridge: Tractors

Maria Eagle: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what meetings (a) Ministers and (b) officials of his Department have had with the (i) Department of Environment Food and Rural Affairs and (ii) Department of Transport related to the liability of tractors to pay tolls on the Mersey Gateway Bridge; and if he will make a statement.

Elizabeth Truss: HMT Ministers and officials meet with Defra and DfT counterparts regularly to discuss important matters relating to their departments. The administration, operation and collection of tolls and penalty charge notices on the Mersey Gateway Bridge, including for tractors, are a matter for Halton Borough Council and the Merseylink consortium to decide.

Electric Vehicles: Finance

Rebecca Long Bailey: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to page 145 of the Industrial Strategy, when he expects the Charging Infrastructure Investment Fund to be in operation.

Andrew Jones: Following the announcement of the Fund at Autumn Budget, the Government is already engaging with the private sector to ensure that it is set up in the most effective way. Further details will be announced in due course.

Clinical Psychologists: Training

Deidre Brock: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many trainee clinical psychologists have been in receipt of an income tax and national insurance refund through the NHS Widening Access Training scheme; and how many of those claims for such a refund are outstanding.

Mel Stride: HM Revenue and Customs does not hold this information, as it does not record the specific role of those receiving a refund through the NHS Widening Access Training scheme.

NatWest and Royal Bank of Scotland: Closures

Jonathan Edwards: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, What discussions UK Financial Investments had with the RBS Group before the decision on 1 December 2017 to close 259 RBS and Nat West branches.

Jonathan Edwards: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions he had with UK Financial Investments before the decision on 1 December 2017 by RBS Group to close 259 RBS and Nat West branches.

Stephen Barclay: Government ministers regularly meet with a wide range of organisations from the public and private sectors to discuss policy issues. The Government’s shareholding in RBS is managed commercially and at arm’s length by UK Financial Investments (UKFI), with the objective of creating and protecting value for the taxpayer. UKFI meets regularly with RBS with the engagement focused on ensuring that RBS’s business strategies, performance, governance, and risk-management are aligned to deliver sustainable value for the taxpayer. RBS retains its own board which is responsible for commercial and operational decisions, including in relation to its branch network.

Refugees: English Language

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what funding the Government provides to support refugees to learn English.

Elizabeth Truss: The Government provides funding to support refugees to learn English in a number of ways: Adults with refugee status are eligible for funding for English courses from the Adult Education Budget, and the Government covers full costs if they are unemployed and looking for work. The Home Office and the Department for Education have created a joint fund that will allocate up to £10 million across five years for additional English language training and support for people resettled under the Vulnerable Resettlement Scheme and Vulnerable Children’s Resettlement Scheme. English language tuition also forms part of the support package provided to refugees arriving in the UK under the Gateway Protection Programme. Refugees may access the English Language Programme funded by the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG), and money from the Controlling Migration Fund can be used to support refugees to learn English. For schools, local authorities currently have discretion to allocate funding within local formulas based on the number of pupils who have English as an additional language (EAL), and have recently entered the school system.

Charitable Donations: VAT

Mary Creagh: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the amount accrued to the public purse from VAT on phone-call donations to charity in each of the last five financial years.

Mel Stride: This level of detail is not requested on VAT returns and therefore we do not have data available on how much revenue is raised from VAT on phone charges for making donations to charities. There is no VAT on the donations.

Department for Exiting the European Union

Brexit

Mrs Louise Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, which (a) individuals and (b) organisations he has held discussions with on the UK's access to the EU REACH programme after the UK leaves the EU; and if he will he make a statement.

Mr Robin Walker: Stakeholder engagement is a central element of our plan to build a national consensus around our negotiating position. We are working closely with colleagues across government to regularly engage with the chemicals sector and other manufacturing sectors that use chemicals on a range of areas including the REACH regulation. Details of ministerial and senior official meetings are published in the Department’s Quarterly Transparency Returns, which will be made publicly available on GOV.UK. In addition, the Government’s chemicals sector report sets out the sector’s views, alongside a description of the sector, the current EU regulatory regime, and existing frameworks for how trade is facilitated between countries in these sectors. These reports have been made available for members of both Houses to read in a secure reading room.

Brexit

Deidre Brock: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, whether he plans to commission research on the sectoral effects of the UK leaving the EU to inform his Department's negotiations with the EU.

Mr Robin Walker: As part of our work preparing to make a success of our departure from the European Union we are undertaking a broad range of sectoral analysis across the UK economy. This means looking at 58 sectors as well as cross-cutting regulatory, economic and social issues to help inform our negotiation positions. On 27 November 2017, 39 reports covering 58 sectors of the UK economy were released to the Commons Exiting the EU Select Committee and the Lords EU Committee. The reports cover: a detailed description of each sector; the current EU regulatory regime; how existing international frameworks facilitate trade in services between different countries; and a summary of sector views. The reports have been made available for members of both Houses to read in a secure reading room. Our overall programme of work is comprehensive, thorough and is continuously updated. This sectoral analysis is simply one part of it to help supplement our wider programme across the board. We are examining all areas of the UK economy from a number of perspectives and seeking input from a wide range of stakeholders in order to inform our negotiation position.

Exports: Wales

Anna McMorrin: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what assessment his Department has made of the effect on Welsh exports to the EU of the UK not having a trade agreement with the EU when the UK leaves the EU.

Mr Robin Walker: As part of our work preparing to make a success of our departure from the European Union, we are carrying out a broad range of sectoral analysis as you would expect a responsible Government to do. This includes analysis of sectors across the whole of the UK. The Government is engaging extensively with the Welsh Government, along with Welsh organisations and institutions and in order to secure a deal that works in the interests of not just Wales, but the whole of the United Kingdom. We look forward to further engagement with all the Devolved Administrations, including on any additional analysis they have produced. As we move into the second phase of negotiations we are confident of agreeing a bold and ambitious Free Trade Agreement with the EU. Securing a future partnership between the UK and EU is in the interests of both sides, so we approach these negotiations anticipating success. We do not want or expect an outcome where no trade agreement is agreed.

Department for International Trade

Department for International Trade: Staff

Lloyd Russell-Moyle: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how many staff currently work for his Department's Defence and Security Organisation; and what the budget of that organisation was for 2016-17.

Mark Garnier: At 08 December 2017 the Department for International Trade’s Defence and Security Organisation (DSO) had 121 staff in post. The total net budget for DSO for 2016-17 was £9,900,267.

Department for International Trade: Exhibitions

Lloyd Russell-Moyle: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what representations his Department has made to overseas governments, police and law enforcement agencies and their respective procurement agents or representatives on the promotion of and invitation to the Security and Policing event to be held in March 2018.

Mark Garnier: No invitations to Security and Policing 2018 have yet been issued. All invitations to overseas delegations follow a stringent process of scrutiny and approval involving both the Department for International Trade and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. A list of the countries invited will be published on GOV.UK in due course.

UK Trade with EU

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what the value of (a) imports from and (b) exports to the EU was for each region and constituent part of the UK in each of the last 30 years.

Mark Garnier: Data on the value of UK trade (exports and imports) in goods and services with the EU since 1999 are available from the ONS at:https://www.ons.gov.uk/file?uri=/economy/nationalaccounts/balanceofpayments/datasets/9geographicalbreakdownofthecurrentaccountthepinkbook2016/thepinkbook2017/pinkbook2017chapter9.xls Data on the value of UK trade in goods by UK region (at the NUTS1 level) with the EU since 1996 are available from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC)’s Build Your Own Tables application at:https://www.uktradeinfo.com/Statistics/BuildYourOwnTables/Pages/Home.aspx (RTS data) Data on the value of exports of services (excluding travel, transport and financial services) by GB region (at the NUTS1 level) to the EU in 2015 are available from the ONS at:https://www.ons.gov.uk/businessindustryandtrade/internationaltrade/articles/estimatingthevalueofserviceexportsabroadfromdifferentpartsoftheuk/2015. Data for earlier years are not available.

Exports: Fylde

Mark Menzies: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what support is available to SMEs in Fylde constituency that wish to export abroad.

Mark Garnier: Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Fylde have access to the full range of Department for International Trade (DIT) support. Through local International Trade Advisers, DIT teams overseas, sector specialists and the Exporting is GREAT Digital Hub we encourage and support them to start, increase or sustain exporting activity through tailored support and advice. This includes strategic guidance, connection to overseas business opportunities, access to trade shows, invitation to DIT trade missions, bespoke market research, export masterclasses and access to export finance. We also support via local organisations including ‘Export Champions’ who assist SMEs on their export journey pro-bono. We have thirteen Champions across Lancashire and four in Fylde.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Internet: Midlothian

Danielle Rowley: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to enhance provision of internet services in Midlothian.

Matt Hancock: We provided £100.8m from Phase 1 of the Superfast Broadband Programme to support superfast broadband coverage in Scotland. This has been delivered through the Highlands & Islands broadband project and the Digital Scotland project which covers the Rest of Scotland.The UK Government provided £20.99m additional funding in February 2014 to support a Phase 2 project in Scotland to provide further superfast broadband coverage. The Scottish Government has not yet begun the procurement process using this funding and is not expecting to have agreed a contract until December 2018. We are doing all we can to speed this up. For all premises which do not have superfast broadband coverage, the UK Government will ensure universal broadband of at least 10Mbps.

Broadband: Aberdeenshire

Andrew Bowie: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what the timetable is to roll out the full fibre broadband pilot scheme in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire.

Andrew Bowie: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with the Scottish Government about the full fibre broadband pilot scheme in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire.

Matt Hancock: We have kept the Scottish Government informed about all aspects of the Local Full Fibre Networks programme, including the test project in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire, including at Ministerial level. For delivery of the project, which launched on 15 November 2017, we are working with the local authorities directly.

Broadband: Universal Service Obligation

Chris Elmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, further to the Written Answer of 13 November to Question 111397, what the timetable is for for a decision on delivering universal broadband; and if he will make a statement.

Matt Hancock: We expect to make a decision on our proposed approach for delivering universal broadband shortly, and will make a statement at that time.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport: ICT

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether electronic communications from hon. Members to Ministers of her Department are passed through any third parties before they reach their recipient.

Matt Hancock: Electronic communications are passed across the internet via internet service providers and the routing of an email between an Hon Member and a Government department is dependent on which system and service an email is sent. Ministers’ Private Offices and correspondence teams routinely handle and respond to emails on behalf of their Ministers.

Computer Software

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the implications of third-party tracker in Android apps for the security and privacy of UK citizens.

Matt Hancock: We take both the protection of personal data and the right to privacy extremely seriously. The Data Protection Bill will make our data protection laws fit for the digital age in which an ever increasing amount of data is being processed. It will empower people to take control of their data and support UK businesses and organisations through the change.

Parish Councils: Data Protection

James Cartlidge: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what estimate she has made of the potential cost to parish councils of complying with the General Data Protection Regulation.

Matt Hancock: Parish Councils, like other data controllers, are currently required to adhere to the Data Protection Act 1998. Although the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) does change the requirements on data controllers, the Government's view is that the step up to these new standards will not be a disproportionate burden. For example, to assist with the transition, the Information Commissioner has launched a dedicated helpline service for smaller organisations and has updated its 'SME toolkit' to reflect the requirements of the GDPR.

Information Commissioner

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how many times the Information Commissioner's Office has fined central government departments in each year since it was created.

Matt Hancock: The Information Commissioner's Office maintains records of civil monetary penalties dating back to April 2010, when the Commissioner first received powers to fine organisations up to £500,000 for serious breaches of the Data Protection Act. Since receiving these powers, the Commissioner has issued a single fine to a central government department - £140,000 to the Ministry of Justice in October 2013.

Sports: Governing Bodies

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether powers to remove public funding from sports bodies due to non-compliance with the Sports Governance Code have been used to date; and if she will make a statement.

Tracey Crouch: The deadline for national governing bodies (NGBs) of sport to comply with the requirements of the Code for Sports Governance was 31 October 2017. Sport England and UK Sport have received evidence from NGBs to demonstrate how they are complying with the Code and both organisations are now working together to review this evidence. Sport England and UK Sport will make a formal statement on the compliance of NGBs shortly. If NGBs are assessed to be non-compliant they will be given the opportunity to take remedial action. If these NGBs do not take appropriate steps to become compliant then Sport England and UK Sport will make decisions on required action, including removal of funding, from late January 2018 onwards.

Parish Councils: Data Protection

James Cartlidge: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department has issued guidance to parish councils on compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation.

Matt Hancock: The Government and the Information Commissioner recognise the challenges facing organisations across the UK in their preparations for the Data Protection Bill and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). There are already resources on the Commissioner's website (ico.org.uk) to help organisations employing fewer than 250 people, including parish councils, prepare. The Commissioner has launched a dedicated helpline service for smaller organisations and has updated its 'SME toolkit' to reflect the requirements of the GDPR. The Commissioner will also be simplifying her "12-step" GDPR preparation guidance in response to feedback from small and micro-enterprises and will continue to develop further guidance on both the Bill and GDPR.

Data Protection: Regulation

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what estimate she has made of the proportion of businesses that will be in a state of readiness for the General Data Protection Regulation compliance by May 2018.

Matt Hancock: We are working with the Information Commissioner Officer (ICO) to raise awareness and help businesses to comply with the new data protection legislation. The ICO continue to update their guidance as well as providing a self-assessment checklists for businesses (https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/resources-and-support/data-protection-self-assessment/getting-ready-for-the-gdpr/).

Local Press

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to help the local newspaper sector in the face of reducing sales and increasing online news content.

Matt Hancock: As set out in the Conservative manifesto, the government is committed to ensuring there are sustainable business models for high quality journalism.

Arts: EU Nationals

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the reliance of the UK creative industry sector on non-UK EU citizens in the (a) visual effects artists, (b) video game designers and (c) arts officers occupations.

Matt Hancock: We do not hold granular data on nationality at occupation level.

Social Media: Bullying

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions she has held with social media platform providers on tackling online bullying against young people.

Matt Hancock: Ministers and officials have regular meetings and discussions with social media companies on a range of issues including online bullying. Details of ministerial meetings are published quarterly on the Gov.uk web.

Technology

Clive Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what analysis her Department has undertaken to assess the viability of making Cambridge a joint Tech Nation cluster with Norwich?

Matt Hancock: The regions were selected by Tech Nation based on the insights gathered as part of their annual Tech Nation report. The department has therefore not undertaken an analysis of the viability of making a joint Tech Nation hub between Norwich and Cambridge. Further information can be found via the following link: http://www.techcityuk.com/blog/2017/11/10-questions-everyones-asking-tech-nation/

S4C Independent Review

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether a list of those invited to submit evidence to the S4C Review will be published as part of the S4C Review.

Matt Hancock: A list of all parties consulted will be published as part of the S4C ​review.

Football: Ethnic Groups

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps are being taken to ensure that BAME coaches experience adequate opportunities in sports that operate under the UK Sports umbrella.

Tracey Crouch: Government’s sport strategy ‘Sporting Future’, published in December 2015, noted that just 5.5% of elite coaches were from Black and Minority Ethnic (BAME) backgrounds, demonstrating that high performance coaching was not drawing its talent from the widest pool available. It commissioned UK Sport to review what steps could be taken to remove barriers to minority groups (and women) progressing into high performance coaching roles with a view to diversifying the talent pool and ultimately improving overall performance. UK Sport has since put a number of activities and processes in place to help increase the number of high quality opportunities for BAME coaches. For example their Elite Coaching Team works with role models to encourage other coaches to apply for relevant roles, and they work with Sporting Equals on data relating to BAME people, which forms part of the Sporting Equals' Leaderboard National Steering Group. One of the aims of this group is to develop and share toolkits that sports can use to help diversify their recruitment, and in particular recruit more BAME staff. UK Sport also use results from the sport-wide Culture Health Check to analyse emerging trends around equality and diversity issues, and they work closely with the Sports Councils’ Equity Group with Home Country Sports Councils to develop consistent approaches to equality and opportunities with national governing bodies.

Wales Office

Brexit: Wales

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, whether he has identified any risks arising from the UK leaving the EU that are specific to Wales and the Welsh economy.

Alun Cairns: Since the referendum I have been engaging with stakeholders throughout Wales to hear their views on how we make Brexit work for Wales, including through my expert panel of stakeholders. Many of the issues they have raised are common across the whole of the UK.Where issues have been brought to my attention, the Office of the Secretary of State for Wales has worked with the Department for Exiting the European Union, and other Government departments, to fully consider these as part of achieving a deal that works for all parts of the United Kingdom.I will continue to work with other Government departments, my expert panel of stakeholders, the Welsh Government, and the National Assembly for Wales, to support the Welsh economy and promote a prosperous Wales within a strong United Kingdom.

Burial: Fees and Charges

Alex Cunningham: If he will meet with Cabinet colleagues to discuss the merits of removing child burial fees in England in line with policy in Wales.

Alun Cairns: I recognise the distress caused to families when organising a funeral for a child. I pay tribute to members who have campaigned on this important issue, particularly the honourable lady for Swansea East.We are making it easier for parents to apply for financial support under the Funeral Expenses Payment Scheme.

House of Commons Commission

Parliamentary Estate: WiFi

Dr David Drew: To ask the right hon. Member for Carshalton and Wallington, representing the House of Commons Commission, if the Commission will assess the potential merits of consolidating WiFi systems on the Parliamentary Estate.

Tom Brake: Parliament already has a single wireless network. However, this can appear to be a number of different ones when viewing the WiFi available on estate. This is due to it being segmented into a number of logical virtual networks. This is designed to enable effective cyber security management depending on the end user connecting. For example, guests on the Parliamentary Estate and users of non-Parliamentary devices computers are asked to manually enter an ID and password. However, Members and users of Parliamentary-issued devices automatically connect to the network. PDS plan to rationalise the number of WiFi networks visible on the Parliamentary estate over the course of 2018, the intent being to reduce the number visible to the minimum viable to meet cyber security requirements.

Church House

Sir Desmond Swayne: To ask the right hon. Member for Carshalton and Wallington, representing the House of Commons Commission, when the contract for emergency relocation to Church House was terminated; and if he will make a statement.

Tom Brake: An agreement between the House of Commons and Church House expired in 2006.The House has new contingency plans for a forced relocation in the event of a fire, flood, or other emergency. These plans are not limited by or dependent on one relocation venue or building, and they address a variety of different risks, scenarios and requirements.It would be inappropriate to expand further due to security considerations.

Department of Health

Defibrillators

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans he has to co-ordinate the location of defibrillators to ensure that those areas that do not have access to a defibrillator can access one.

Steve Brine: In order to further support the National Health Service and local communities, the Government provided £2 million to make public access defibrillators more widely available and to increase the numbers of people trained in cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Local commissioners, working closely with their communities, are best placed to make decisions on the location of defibrillators.

Drugs: Misuse

Dr Lisa Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to tackle opioid abuse in the homeless community.

Steve Brine: The Government is investing £16 billion over the Spending Review period for local authorities (LAs) to spend on public health. LAs are responsible for making decisions on how to spend their local allocation but the public health grant conditions make it clear that they must have regard for the need to improve the take up of, and outcomes from, their drug and alcohol misuse treatment services. Public Health England guidance, developed with drug service providers, promotes the need for local authorities, commissioners and healthcare providers to work together to create systems and pathways that enable people who use drugs, including those who experience homelessness, to access services.

Breast Cancer: Drugs

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions his Department has had with NHS England on whether breast cancer patients who currently receive Herceptin (trastuzumab) in the subcutaneous formulation will be included in their ambition for 80 per cent of existing patients being on the best value biological medicine within 12 months.

Steve Brine: Through its Medicines Value Programme, NHS England aims to deliver best value for medicines used in the National Health Service. Use of best value biologics is part of this programme which will drive rapid uptake of biosimilar medicines in the NHS. Trastuzumab is currently available as two products – one for intravenous (IV) use and the other for subcutaneous use. We are expecting several biosimilars of the IV preparation to be available sometime in 2018. As part of the medicines value programme we expect 80% uptake of the best value biologic within 12 months – this applies only to the IV preparation.

Nursing Associates

Dr Lisa Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 1 December 2017 to Question 115401 on Mental Health Services: Nurses, to which NHS Trusts will the first cohort of nursing associates be assigned, and what specialisms he expects that cohort to undertake.

Mr Philip Dunne: Nursing associates are an England only role. There are currently 2,000 nursing associates in training within 35 Health Education England Pilots, due to complete and become qualified nursing associates in 2019. Health Education England (HEE) have published a list of the first and second wave nursing associate test sites on their website found at the following links: https://www.hee.nhs.uk/news-events/news/%E2%80%8Bhealth-education-england-announces-training-places-over-2000-nursing-associates https://www.hee.nhs.uk/news-events/news/health-education-england-unveils-second-wave-nursing-associate-test-sites To support national consistency and coherence in the delivery of the education and training model for nursing associates, HEE has developed and published a national curriculum framework in partnership with Skills for Health and Skills for Care. This framework provides details of the breadth of skills and professional competence nursing associates will train to. The Framework can be downloaded from HEE’s website at: https://www.hee.nhs.uk/sites/default/files/documents/Nursing%20Associate%20Curriculum%20Framework%20Feb2017_0.pdf The following tables shows health and care settings for nursing associate placements (this is not an exhaustive list) taken from the Nursing Associate Curriculum Framework. Health and care settings for placements (not an exhaustive list) in hospital- National Health Service and independent sector (adult, children and young people) - Paramedic services - Emergency assessment units (community hospital settings) - Mental health inpatient service - Learning disability inpatient services Close to home- Hospice (adult and child) - Primary care, general practice and general practice nurses - Respite care with nursing service - Mental health crisis house with nursing services - Mental health community outreach teams - Reablement services (nursing) - School nursing - Substance misuse services - Community learning disability services integrated teams - Child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) - Public Health England nursing services At home- Nursing homes - District and community nursing services - Assisted living for people with learning disabilities - Supported living services - Children’s domiciliary care services - Older person services - Paediatric nursing services - Health visiting services - Community palliative care teams (child and adult) - Charitable end of life services, e.g. Macmillan - Community mental health teams (older people, adult, child) - Perinatal mental health teams - Early intervention for psychosis teams - Offender healthcare unitsTraining of the NHS workforce in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales is a matter for each of the governments in the devolved administrations.

Patients: Transport

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, which Minister of his Department has responsibility for non-emergency patient transport.

Steve Brine: I have portfolio responsibility for the commissioning of non-urgent patient transport.

Cancer

Lee Rowley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether there are plans to extend the cancer dashboard to include tumour-specific data for (a) ovarian and (b) other less common cancers.

Steve Brine: The initial focus of the cancer dashboard was to report on tumours with the highest incidence rates. NHS England intends to explore other tumour types in the dashboard over time. However, it is important to note that it will not be possible to include detailed data on some rarer cancers at clinical commissioning group level due to the low number of cases. It may be possible to include data on these cancers by larger geographical areas, such as Cancer Alliances or Sustainability and Transformation Partnership areas.

Drugs: Misuse

Craig Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 22 November 2017 to Question 113472, for what reasons the period from April 2010 to March 2013 was excluded from the total amount of money from the public purse spent on Talk to Frank since its creation.

Steve Brine: The Talk to FRANK service is currently operated by Public Health England (PHE), and the information supplied in response to Question 113472 was drawn from PHE financial records. During the period April 2010 to March 2013, the Talk to FRANK service was operated jointly by the Home Office and the Department of Health. In the 2017 report ‘An evaluation of the Government’s Drug Strategy 2010’, the Government spend on media and information activity under the Drug Strategy 2010, 2010/11 to 2014/15 (including on FRANK) is provided on page 73:https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/628100/Drug_Strategy_Evaluation.PDF

General Practitioners

Rehman Chishti: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent assessment he has made of the sustainability of the GP network.

Steve Brine: A general practitioner (GP) network is an informal collaboration of multiple practices. The Department and NHS England does not monitor, control or regulate these arrangements. However, as the GP Forward View said, it is becoming increasingly normal for general practices to work together at scale and form into networks or federations of practices. Larger organisational forms will enable greater opportunities for practices to increase their flexibility to shape, buy or build additional services, working from a more effective platform with other local health and care providers, including community health services, social care and voluntary organisations. There will also be greater use of technology to connect primary care with others, for the sharing of best practice and sourcing of timely advice.

NHS: Finance

Sir Michael Fallon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether his Department has increased the level of funding allocated to A&E departments, maternity units and GP surgeries in (a) England and (b) Kent in each of the last five years.

Mr Philip Dunne: NHS England and NHS Improvement advise that information on funding for accident and emergency departments and maternity units, at both a national and local level, is not held centrally. These services are commissioned locally. Information on funding for general practice in Kent is not held centrally. Data published by NHS Digital shows that investment in general practice has increased nationally in real terms in each year since 2012-13, as set out in the following table. England2012-132013-142014-152015-162016-17Cash terms (£ million)8,459.8818,830.5409,173.0389,696.56210,203.859% Change 4.38%3.88%5.71%5.23%Real terms (£ million)8,960.9469,201.7969,420.3269,890.16710,203.859% Change 2.69%2.37%4.99%3.17% Source: NHS Digital

Smoking: Children

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the implications for his policies are of the recent findings from the health group FRESH North East that 55 per cent of children are accessing their first use of tobacco from illicit sources.

Steve Brine: As outlined in the Tobacco Control Plan for England considerable progress has been made in addressing tobacco smuggling and the reductions we have seen have been achieved through regulatory changes, new sanctions, detection technology and partnership working across government and internationally. The illicit tobacco market still however poses a significant challenge. Although it is for local decision makers to address local concerns on illicit tobacco, at a national level the Government will continue with the implementation of its 2015 strategy 'Tackling Illicit Tobacco: From Leaf to Light' to address duty evasion.

North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust

Mark Menzies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will discuss with North West Ambulance Trust for what reasons that Trust's vehicles do not carry (a) IV Paracetamol, (b) Ondansetron and (c) Dexamethasone.

Mark Menzies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will discuss with North West Ambulance Trust for what reason that Trust's paramedics do not practice transcutaneous pacing.

Mark Menzies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether his Department has plans to ensure that (a) all ambulances carry the same equipment and medicines and (b) the procedures employed by paramedics are the same in all ambulance trusts.

Mr Philip Dunne: Clinical equipment, medicines and practices of paramedics are operational matters for National Health Service ambulance trusts. However, the Ambulance Improvement Programme is currently reviewing operational delivery and configuration across ambulance trusts with a view to reducing unwarranted variation and increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of ambulance services across England. North West Ambulance Service has advised that as of October 2017: - It would consider the clinical and cost effectiveness of Ondansetron and IV Paracetamol;- It was not considering the introduction of Dexamethasone but would keep this under review; and- It offers a transcutaneous pacing service.

Members: Correspondence

Emma Hardy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when he plans to reply to my letter dated 22 November 2017 regarding my constituent Hayley Crawley.

Mr Philip Dunne: My Rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State replied on 12 December.

Hospitals: Admissions

Barbara Keeley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many emergency admissions to hospitals came from a (a) care home setting and (b) nursing home setting in each year since 2010.

Mr Philip Dunne: The table below shows counts of finished admission episodes (FAEs) with an emergency admission from a care home setting. It should be noted that, there is no source of admissions code available that specifically identifies admissions from a nursing home setting. The data is a count of FAEs with an emergency admission, not patients, as the same patient may have had multiple admissions to hospital within the same time period. Source of AdmissionYear2010-112011-122012-132013-142014-152015-162016-17National Health Service run care home (from 1 April 2004)3,3963,0863,5383,5413,0192,6812,956Local authority Part 3 residential accommodation (where care is provided)3,0332,3762,0991,5051,6262,2252,878Non-NHS (other than local authority) run care home10,51011,80615,15816,03717,58821,94122,089Non-NHS (other than local authority) run hospice600824656537449582548Emergency admissions from Care Homes total17,53918,09221,45121,62022,68227,42928,471 Source: Hospital Episode Statistics, NHS Digital

Clinical Commissioning Groups:  Procurement

Deidre Brock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much has been paid out by NHS clinical commissioning groups in compensation for deficiencies in the contract tendering procedure.

Steve Brine: NHS England has advised that they do not collect this information centrally.

Radiography

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the number of full-time equivalent interventional radiologists; and what assessment he has made of whether there are adequate numbers of interventional radiologists to deliver 24-hour services.

Mr Philip Dunne: This information is not collected centrally. By August 2017 there has been an increase of 844 doctors working in radiology since 2010, equivalent to an increase of 25.2%. NHS England is aware that there is a shortage of interventional radiologists and is working with the Royal College of Radiologists on exploring options to increase access to training and to fast track training for new services such as mechanical thrombectomy.

Radiography

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the number of day beds available to interventional radiology patients.

Mr Philip Dunne: This information is not held centrally. National data is held on the total number of day beds available across a wide number of clinical interventions. The latest data for Quarter 2 of 2017/18 shows the average daily number of day only beds was 12,379. Further data surrounding bed availability is published online by NHS England at:https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/bed-availability-and-occupancy/

GP at Hand

Jo Platt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to Answer of 6 December 2917 to Question 116209 on GP at Hand, whether the evaluation of financial impact will include an impact assessment on local GP surgeries who may be affected by a reduction in the number of their patients.

Steve Brine: The evaluation of the GP at Hand service is in development. The scope is being drafted and it should include a number of elements such as the financial impacts on the local health system.

Blackpool Victoria Hospital

Mark Menzies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions his Department has had with Blackpool Victoria Hospital to facilitate an increase in the recruitment of hospital consultants at that hospital.

Mr Philip Dunne: The Department has no record of any discussions with Blackpool Victoria Hospital to facilitate an increase in the recruitment of hospital consultants at that hospital.

Pupils: Diabetes

Sandy Martin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, assessment he has made of trends in the level of children with Type 1 diabetes who experience a serious medial episode in a school environment in each of the last five years.

Steve Brine: No assessment has taken place, and no data regarding the number of children with Type 1 diabetes experiencing a serious medical episode in a school environment is centrally held.

Drugs: Misuse

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 4 December to Question 117339 on Drugs: Misuse, what research has been commission on  the effect of drug use disorders on Disability-Adjusted Life Years lost in each region of England by (a) his Department, (b) the NHS, and (c) Public Health England in each of the last 7 years; and whether such data is shared with the Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation.

Jackie Doyle-Price: No research on the effects of drug use disorders on Disability-Adjusted Life Years lost in each region of England has been commissioned by the Department, the National Health Service or Public Heath England in the last seven years.